The War of Words
by NikitaDreams
Summary: A tale of mystery, murder, intrigue and adventure that tosses together unlikely allies and makes heros out of villains. Seiftis with other cannon couples in some places
1. When Life's Not Real

The War of Words

Disclaimer: FFVIII does not belong to me. It and its character's are property of SquareEnix and this is purely written for my own enjoyment. Thanks!

Prologue: When Life's Not Real

"_And you should know that the lies won't hide your flaws_

_No sense in hiding all of yours_

_You gave up on your dreams along the way"_

_Fake It, Seether_

He was so good at faking things these days. He ought to be, seeing as that was how he handled nearly everything. Seifer could look at what was pathetically referred to as his "life" and safely say that it was complete bullshit. Simply moments of existence that passed between drinks and cigarettes. Some hellhole of an apartment over an old fishing shop, where the light sometimes passed through grimy windows and made him squint. Usually even it didn't bother to intrude upon his bleak existence.

Ash fell from the tip the cigarette that he held loosely between his fingertips. Seifer could taste the bitterness of smoke vaguely in the back of his throat and see the wispy tendrils of it curling up to the rafters of the old shack. He shifted his feet, scarred black boots sliding over old wooden floors, and pushed himself to lie back on the narrow cot he slept on. Perhaps passed out upon, would be a better way to put it.

The weary gaze of green drifted over the beams and boards of the ceiling above. Slivers of light danced through, painting a fenestration of lines across his face. When it rained they let in the damp and cold, but he supposed for the price, he couldn't really complain.

The cigarette was limp in his fingers now and burnt down to the quick. Seifer gave it a forceful flick, sending it sailing easily through the stale air of the room. It bounced off the windowsill and rolled to a stop, rocking precariously before stilling. He eyed it and licked his lips, reclaiming the taste of nicotine on his tongue.

Outside that same window he could hear voices. Nothing distinct, just the chatter of regular people passing another day in their meaningless lives. Some days he would drag his tired body from the bed and join them, doing pointless odd jobs to keep gil in his pockets. He may have been disenchanted, but he wasn't bent on letting himself die yet. So he survived, just barely some would say.

Outside the sun rose higher in the sky, and the light shifted, gleaming against the metal blade of Hyperion from where it was leaning against a wall in the corner. Seifer's gaze was drawn to it, caressing, like an old lover. It was the one constant reminder of his old life, of his tremendous fuck up of a past. Some days he was tempted to hurl it in the ocean and pretend to forget. Those moments never lasted long.

He clenched and unclenched his hands, gazing at the callused palms. They weren't weak, even now. Seifer may not have many chances to wield his weapon again, but he was too vain to let his body go to hell from inactivity. Stubbornly he held onto that one piece of himself, though most of his old self-confidence had long since been trampled. He was good at faking it. His body was still toned, his muscles well disciplined. Now it was the work of physical labor that had them bunching beneath his clothing. He'd claimed a tan as well, something which had come and gone during his time at Balamb Garden; depending on whether the days were spent in classrooms or not.

The floor gave a hearty creak as he pushed himself to his feet. Reaching for his pack of smokes and a lighter low on fuel Seifer stuffed them into the back pocket of a pair of faded jeans. The white shirt he wore had seen better days, stained with grease and paint. It was tight across his chest and shoulders and he shrugged slightly, figuring he'd need a new one pretty soon. His blonde hair had grown longer, curling just slightly at the edges in an irritating way that reminded him he needed a trim. He brushed a hand across the stubble on his jaw, even though he'd shaved that morning, and made his way down the narrow staircase behind the rickety building.

It was an unseasonably warm day and he raised a hand over his eyes to ward against the glare of the sun. People milled around, paying him no mind. It wasn't that they didn't see him, or know who he was, they just pretended not to. Seemed a lot of people were good at being false, in some way or another. Of course, the people in the little town of Fisherman's Horizon didn't really concern themselves much with the outside world.

At first Seifer had been irritated to find himself here. To be honest he'd been much more suited to the life of a mercenary that that of a simple fisherman. And he was a lousy fisherman at that. In all honesty it had been his old posse, Fujin and Raijin, who had first convinced him to come here. He'd had no hope of being let back into Garden, despite being pardoned of his crimes, and he wasn't exactly welcome in other parts of the world with his reputation. Of course, Fu and Rai weren't here anymore. They'd since returned to Garden, seeing as they didn't really have anything much to do with the real bad shit that went down. They'd hesitated, but he'd pushed them to go, and it hadn't been that hard.

They'd visit him often, and he'd act like everything was just grand, though he was sure Fujin saw right through that. Raijin on the other hand, had the tendency to be a bit thick, and taking his friend at face value, happily professed how glad he was things were doing "good". Seifer smiled slightly as he made his way along the narrow road, not considering a destination. Maybe one day… maybe one day he could stop lying and things really would be good.

But probably not…


	2. Observations often lead to trouble

Chapter 1: Observations Often Lead to Trouble

"_So you found out today your life's not the same_

_  
Not quite as perfect as it was yesterday but_

_  
When you were just getting in the groove_

_  
Now you're faced with something new_

_  
And I know it hurts and I know you feel torn_

_  
But you never gave up this easily before_

_  
So why do you choose today to give it all away"_

_No Giving Up Now- Crossfade_

Seifer lurched awake in the cot still sweating off the remnants of the nightmare. He let out a long shaky breath as his fingers fumbled for the pack of cigarettes on the bedside table. He could still close his eyes and see a flash of black hair and pale purple lips, so he kept them open wide as he flicked the lighter, the smoke clenched tightly between his teeth. After a moment he felt steady enough to take a long drag and released a plume of smoke into the dark air of the stuffy room.

Despite the fact that the sun had already long since set the heat was still oppressive, and the tiny room was feeling stifling. He shoved to his feet, hurriedly dressing in his old pair of jeans, black boots and a matching tee. Running his free hand through his rumpled hair he stepped out the back door entrance and took the steps down to the street two at a time.

The faint breeze coming off the ocean cooled him some, at least helping him to breathe more easily. Still puffing on his cigarette Seifer turned up one of the narrow roads in the little island town. It boasted very few shops and buildings, and only a handful of restaurants and bars. It was to one of the "finer" establishments that he was now heading, definitely in the mood for a strong drink. It would chase the dreams away much better than the nicotine bite of the cigarette could.

As he approached the bar he could smell the thick pungent odor of sweat, fish and booze. Blanketing it all was the familiar smell of smoke. The door was propped open with a hefty brick to keep some air circulating in the crowded pub and he could hear the murmurings of people already inside.

Sidling past a bulky man positioned near the open door, likely to try and catch some of the breeze along his expansive form, Seifer slipped into the fog of smoke that permeated the bar. His gaze zeroed in on an empty barstool and he hitched himself onto it, leaning against the scarred surface of the bar to await service. It wasn't long before the spry middle-aged man moved down the bar to him.

"Whatcha havin'?"

Seifer briefly considered his funds, and then shrugged.

"How about a shot of whiskey."

Shortly, he was being refilled for the third time when something nagged at the back of his mind, some sort of odd sixth sense type feeling. Faintly over the din of the crowds he could make out a voice that seemed vaguely familiar. He blinked, as if waking from a dream.

"I don't see why we have to meet him here, of all places…"

"Because it's a hole in the wall. No one pays attention to other people in these places. We need as much anonymity as we can get."

Shit, he thought, better make that two voices. Green eyes questing through the haze of smoke he spotted a flash of golden hair at a table in the furthest corner of the establishment. It was darkest in that part of the bar, but Seifer narrowed his eyes and watched the woman drag a hair through her loose blonde hair.

Quistis Trepe.

Hyne, he thought, the name made him cringe with memories of his old life and he shoved them away, motioning idly for another shot.

She was dressed in civilian clothes, he noted, with a reluctant appreciation. The skirt was short, but not short enough to be slutty, and a deep crimson against the fair skin of her long legs. He could always appreciate a nice pair of legs on a woman, and she was no exception. The top was a black silky camisole number with lace detailing around the plunging neckline. It made him think of lingerie and he downed his drink desperately, wondering at these thoughts of his old Instructor.

He turned his attention towards the table's other occupant and noted with some annoyance it was none other than Xu. He didn't even give her more than a cursory glance, not wanting to think of Xu as a woman. It was much easier to think of her as a machine. A really bitchy machine. He smirked.

Seifer ordered another drink; a beer this time, something he could nurse for a while that wouldn't dent his pockets much more than the four shots he'd already had. Here across the room, which was filled with random conversations, shuffling seats and stools dragging across the wooden floors, over the din of glasses clinking and drunks urging one another on in a chug-fest, he could no longer hear what the two women were saying. Their expressions serious they bent close on the table, head to head in a way that would have seemed strangely intimate to anyone who didn't know they were on some sort of mission.

A mission in a bar for Hyne's sake. But he'd heard Trepe saying they were meeting someone here. Low profile. It made him scratch his jaw in ponderance, curiosity creeping up on him before he had a chance to shove it away. Curiosity didn't sit well in his world of make believe. Here it was better to ignore things around you and just get on with life.

But that damned curiosity only rose stubbornly to the surface when he caught sight of the man that moved to join them at the corner table. Seifer hadn't seen the man come in, but that was most likely because the guy was appallingly average looking. With his dark hair greasy and hanging slightly disheveled around his gaunt face, and his spectacles sitting slightly cockeyed on a nose that had apparently suffered at least one break and not been properly set, the man nearly fit in at the establishment.

He sat, heavily like a sack of bones in the chair that Xu maneuvered over, and with nervous grimy fingers, pushed the glasses up his nose into place. Seifer smirked to himself and was reminded of his cool-headed ex-Instructor when he caught a glimpse of her carefully school expression. If he'd been close enough, would he be able to see a hint of disgust in those blue eyes? No, they'd probably be cold as ice.

The scrawny man was talking now, making agitated movements with his boney hands. Unconsciously he smoothed the hem of his over-sized brown jacket, his gaze darting around. Seifer took a lazy sip of his beer and pretended to find something of interest on the wall. A quick glance told him that Jittery Guy had gone back to talking and he turned his attention to the trio at the table once again.

Hell, he thought, this was the most interesting thing he'd come across in months. It couldn't do any harm just to watch. Concoct some wild story in his own head about the meeting and amuse himself for the rest of the week.

He was itching for another cigarette, and the beer was cool on his tongue when he took a draw from the bottle. In the corner of the room Jittery was hunched over the table, his shoulders trembling and Seifer had the disturbing feeling the little man was crying. He felt mild disgust as he watched his former Instructor rest a hand hesitantly on the man's shoulder. Typical her, comforting someone. He bitterly thought it was easier for her to do with those she didn't know.

It wasn't long before the two SeeDs made their exit, leaving the scrawny man at the table in the shadows. Seifer watched curiously as he shuffled in his chair, pulling a wad of crumpled papers from his pocket and gazing down at them with listless eyes. Shoving it back into the depths of his coat Jittery pushed away from the table and slunk out the open door.

The beer bottle now lighter in his hands he lifted his body from the barstool and slid a pile of gil across the bar before making his way into the night air. The temperature was slightly more bearable now that the sun had long been set and he took a deep breath, casting his gaze around the darkened streets.

He took a turn down an alley, shortcutting across the little town. Dreams were long gone and sleep was creeping up on him again, washing his muscles with fatigue. The moon above cast a brilliant glow over him and shone off the stone-cut streets. His eyes trailed over the glinting slippery surface of a dark puddle in half thought before it snapped back into place. He'd been with Garden too long not to recognize blood, done too many things to spill it himself. The sharp tang of it permeated the narrow alleyway, the metallic scent heavy in the air.

He noticed then the crumpled form hunched against a pile of garbage bags, buried face first in some broken down boxes. The tattered oversized coat, the greasy hair, a pair of busted spectacles lying beside the unnaturally bent arm; Jittery.

There was a lot of blood, pooling rapidly around the body, soaking cardboard and old trash. It was sprayed across the stones and bricks of the buildings, like the red wings of some avenging angel. He licked his lips, his throat suddenly dry. He knew better than to touch anything, with his reputation how would that look. Certainly this wasn't the work of SeeD, it was too messy. They would never leave a body lying around for anyone to find.

Seifer stepped carefully past the scene, sleep now far from his mind. It was then that he saw the scrap of bloodied white paper still clenched in the man's death-locked hand. Across the top of the crumpled page was a strange symbol and two words "Odine Labs".


	3. Wallflowers prefer action

Disclaimer: Just to reiterate I do not own FFVII and its characters. SquareEnix does. Original characters, such as the deceased scientist, are mine.

Chapter 2: Wallflowers prefer action

"_I walk a lonely road_

_  
The only one that I have ever known_

_  
Don't know where it goes_

_  
But it's home to me and I walk alone"_

_Boulevard of Broken Dreams- Green Day_

"All students, please be aware that tomorrow's classes will be cancelled for the Spring Festival. Today's classes will proceed as regularly scheduled."

Quistis sighed as the announcement drifted through the corridors out of the muffled speaker system. The clock on the far wall told her that she'd been sitting in the blocky black chair for nearly twenty minutes now, and she stifled the urge to fidget.

She'd come straight from a morning session in the training room and wore her preferred peach outfit. Her fingers smoothed an imaginary crease in the skirt, brushing over the supple leather that was soft as butter. The garment had been worn in from years of repeated wearing and washing, and with the soft garnet satin lining it was comfortable against her skin. Save the Queen was curled at her hip and fastening to her belt and the leather squeaked slightly as she shifted in the chair.

The door to the Commander's office clicked open as the petite assistant stepped into the waiting room. A pile of papers was clutched to her chest, along with an empty coffee mug and a clipboard. A multitude of pens were stuck into the loose bun of red hair piled atop her head. 

"You can go right in now Miss Trepe."

Quistis uncrossed her legs and stood fluidly, her ass feeling slightly numb from the uncomfortable chair. She strode into the office and the door snapped quietly shut at her back.

The room was decently sized, with a high ceiling that, thanks to it's placement at the top story of Garden, contained one large circular skylight that was slightly off-center. The other windows were low and placed like a strip just an inch above the floor, allowing a nice view for the city of Balamb below.

She made her way toward the large cherry wood desk that dominated the room. Atop it was a sleek computer, stacks of papers and reports, one lone photo frame with its back to her, and an intricate looking desk-toy with little metal balls and gears. The latter was likely a gift from President Laguna that Rinoa had forced the Commander to keep.

Behind the monstrosity of a desk Squall sat in a high backed black leather chair. His normal coat was hung neatly on the rack in the corner of the room just behind him, leaving the man in his black pants and white shirt. He didn't say a word, just gestured for her to sit and she did so, slipping into one of the black and gold cushioned chairs that flanked one another and faced the desk. It was measurably more comfortable than the ones in the waiting room, but certainly not soft enough to have her relaxing.

Squall sat back, pulling a folder from the pile on his desk and flipping it open. He glanced it over then lifted his gaze to look at her.

"I gather you've heard?"

"About the man that met with Xu and me? Yes."

"I've already spoken with Xu. She said he didn't tell you much."

"No nothing really…" Quistis frowned, her fingers straightening her glasses fractionally. "He was very frightened about something, though he wouldn't say. He'd recently lost his job at Odine Labs, and at first we'd been hypothesizing that he might have been upset over that. He mentioned something about the Laboratory, and Esthar but he wouldn't elaborate. He gave us the key for his hotel and we arranged to meet him there the following evening. The next morning we heard about his death, and reported back to Garden."

Squall nodded once, having received a similar story from Xu earlier. "We checked out his hotel room. It had been cleaned out."

"Xu and I took the liberty to return to the bar we met him at, as I'm sure she told you. The bartender had noticed him, but it had been rather crowded, and he couldn't recall anyone else strange hanging around."

"Yes well, he wouldn't know what to look for. This was a professional job."

Quistis bit down on her lower lip briefly, and then quickly schooled her face into a mask of professionalism.

Squall spoke again. "However, there may have been someone else there who saw something..."

"Who? We asked some of the regulars but none—."

His lips turned up ever so slightly in a humorless smile. "You must have missed this regular."

Quistis looked at him in mild confusion before he stood and made his way around the desk to her side. He passed her a page of neatly typed names in two columns.

"The list of regulars who were at the bar that evening. We went back to talk to the tender again."

Eyes skimming the page she rubbed her thumb idly against the corner of the stiff white paper. The familiar name leapt out at her, making her startle slightly and lower her hand to her lap, her gaze jumping up to the man before her.

"You don't think he had anything to do with this..." She denied softly, thinking resignedly of her old student.

"No." Squall said simply, moving back to his chair with hardly a whisper of sound. "But he could know something."

"So let me guess… I get to go find out?"

He raised his brows, conveying wordlessly, that she'd hit the nail on the head.

As Quistis left the office she couldn't help but wonder what she'd done to Hyne to be so cosmically screwed in terms of luck. She hadn't seen Seifer in nearly a year, that much was true, but she couldn't imagine he'd changed all that much. He'd been a willful, antagonizing student with a dislike for orders. How could she expect him to be cooperative now? Especially in lieu of his current relationship with Garden. After they politely tossed him out on his ass, she wouldn't be particularly surprised if he laughed in her face.

Disembarking the elevator on the dorm floor Quistis moved through the hall, clutching her new mission folder against her side. Her heels clicked monotonously against the marble floors and her thoughts wandered back to her former student. After all this time, she still felt somewhat responsible for what had happened to Seifer. Though in the end the blame surely rested squarely on his shoulders.

Approaching her door she blinked from her reverie to spy a petite brunette in a brilliant yellow dress. Selphie smiled up at her, tugging lightly on the arm of the tall Cowboy behind her who was peering searchingly in the opposite direction.

"Here she is Irvy."

The man in question turned his head, tipping his hat smoothly in greeting, a smile lighting his eyes.

Selphie rocked from the balls of her sneakered feet to the heels, clasping her hands behind her back as she beamed up at her friend.

"We came to make sure you have a date for the Spring Festival tomorrow Quisty!"

The blonde expertly hid a wince and held up the file in her hand. "Ah… so sorry Selphie, but I have a mission. I leave in the morning."

"What? But didn't you just get _back_ from a mission!? I swear, you'd think Squall would give you a break now and then! Why don't you ask Rinoa to talk to him?"

"No." Quistis stared down at the sunny face, her gaze cool and firm. "Selphie I would never abuse my friendship with Rinoa in such a manner. And besides, it's important so I really need to go. I'm sure it won't take me long..."

The smaller woman's face fell. "I just was really hoping you could make it to this one. I've been working super hard on organizing everything and Irvy and Zell even helped with the decorations!"

Irvine shrugged slightly, resting his hand on her slender shoulder. "Mostly we just tacked shit to the wall where she said it looked good..."

Quistis smiled at the couple. "Well it's okay. I'm sure it will be great. And anyway, I don't even have a date or anything."

She wondered idly to herself when was the last time she'd even been on a date, or even had lunch with someone other than a male friend. Not liking where that train of thought was leading she stepped around the two towards her door and put on her best smile.

"Take lots of pictures for me, okay Selph?"

The door to her rooms slid soundlessly shut behind her, leaving her alone in the cool emptiness. The air was still and slightly stuffy, and as she looked around the neat dormitory she realized that she had just turned down a party in favor of a mission.


	4. Questioning Tensions

Disclaimer: I don't own, SquareEnix does.

Author's note: Please note I made up a last name for Xu in this chapter because I couldn't recall one from the game. Admittedly it's been a while, so if I'm wrong please feel free to correct me. Thanks!

Chapter 3: Questioning Tensions

"_I stood out here once before_

_With my head held in my hands_

_For all that I had known of this place_

_I could never understand…"_

_Fires at Midnight- Blackmore's Night_

As she approached the sagging wooden staircase that clung to the back of the old fish shop Quistis felt the tension build in her body like the strings of a guitar wound too tight. The trip from Garden to Fisherman's Horizon had been bad, her craft rocked endlessly by the storms brought on by the unusual spring heat. She'd never been prone to seasickness but even her steady stomach had lurched on the journey. Despite her reluctance to let Selphie set her up for the Spring Festival she almost wished she was back in Balamb. Almost…

The steps were sturdier then they appeared but she took them slowly, one at a time. The nails digging into the guardrail had little to do with fear of falling. Her knuckles rapped against the wooden door in what was surely the weakest knock she'd ever paid witness to.

"Get a hold of yourself…. You're a SeeD."

The little pep-talk had her straightening her shoulders and knocking on the door twice, with confidence. Her gaze lingered on the weathered surface, white paint peeling from age and sea air. Lips pursed she studied the scarred surface for a time, until she realized that there was no one home. Blinking from her reverie she turned and slammed solidly into a very male and very… bare chest.

A whoosh of breath slid past her lips and she barely contained her squeak of surprise, stumbling back into the railing, which creaked forebodingly at her weight. Licking suddenly dry lips she ripped her gaze from the trickle of sweat that was working its way down a row of sculpted abs to stare into boring green eyes.

Quistis blinked again, feeling the heat of a blush creep up her neck under the braid that fell across her shoulder. Seifer stared back at her, his own gaze suspicious, annoyed, with a thread of… what was it, amusement, or interest? His gaze traveled over her in kind, down from the simple braid, the sleeveless white button-up shirt tucked into smart navy-colored shorts. The casual look suited her, and showed far too much leg for the safety of any sane man.

"Instructor…." His voice was a low rasp that washed over her. "As much as I'd like staring at you for the next couple of hours would you mind getting the hell out of my way? I'm thirsty and you're blocking the damn door."

Her mouth opened to reply, but died promptly in her throat as he squeezed past her, his body brushing against hers fully. The sizzle that jolted through had her jumping away, teetering on the top step before catching herself on the railing. He shoved the door open and left it that way, whether to let in a small breeze or out of invitation she wasn't sure. She followed him anyway, standing awkwardly in the doorway.

Ignoring her presence Seifer moved to the fridge and bent over to reach for something inside. She watched the dappled sunlight play over the muscles in his back, flexing with movement beneath sun-bronzed skin. Quistis quickly snapped her gaze away, searching the apartment in order to distract herself from the man. It was smaller than she'd suspected from the outside, and dark. The windows had no curtains, but had long gone smoky from the burner of the fish store below paired with age.

She shifted on her feet and the boards protested quietly beneath her, causing her to step further into the doorway. Seifer turned from the now shut refrigerator, a beer in his hand. Condensation dotted the glass bottle and slid down the sides. She watched the water catch amongst his fingers.

Raising the bottle to his lips Seifer took a long drink and watched her in silence. She looked nervous, standing there, and he was reminded of the days when he was a student in her class; challenging her lessons, teasing her and in general being a pain in the ass.

Quistis squared her shoulders once more, easily slipping into the mask of professionalism that she relied upon when she felt unsteady. She laced her fingers together behind her back and regarded him with a cool gaze.

"Last Friday Night at approximately 9 pm SeeD Xu Himamoto and I were meeting an informant at a local bar known as The Hook and Line. We've been informed that you're often a regular in the aforementioned place. Did you happen to be present that night? And if so, I'd appreciate you telling me anything you know."

Her speech completed she reached up to flick an errant strand of hair away from her eyes and waited for Seifer's reply.

He took his time, regarding her with mystery in his gaze as he took another drink from his beer. He leaned back against the narrow wooden counter that was shoved into the corner of the tiny kitchen.

"I dunno Trepe…" His voice was a slow drawl, purposely drawn out as if he were mulling over the words. "Friday was a few nights ago. I really can't be sure."

Her eyes narrowed and she clenched her hands together to stamp the urge to put them on her hips.

"It was only four days ago. Just think about it."

He shrugged his broad shoulders lazily and tossed the empty bottle into the sink. It shattered and she winced slightly at the thought of the mess. Of course, taking in the clothing strewn across the floor and the box of old take-out on the ancient chest that served for a coffee-table, it didn't seem as if cleanliness was one of his habits.

"You came all the way out here just to see if I saw you and Xu talking to some guy in a bar? What, did the guy bite it or something?"

It was the tone of his voice that had her studying him carefully, as if he was already perfectly aware that the man was dead.

"Look, Seifer if you saw anything I need to know. The man was a scientist and now he's dead."

He narrowed his eyes on her and set his jaw, his powerful arms folding across his chest. The gesture was defiant and he cocked his head so the sun slanting in from the rafters glinted off his eyes.

"I didn't kill him."

"We didn't think you did." Her voice was threaded through with irritation; even though she couldn't very well blame him for thinking they would try to pin the blame on him. "Years of training to be a mercenary don't go away overnight. You probably still scan a room every time you walk in, looking for a quick escape route, rooting out the criminals or miscreants. If you were there that night you'd have seen more than a regular patron."

"Shouldn't you have the same damn skills Instructor? Yet you didn't even see me there, did you?"

His tone was mocking and even though it sent her back up, she had to admit he was right.

"No…" She admitted. "I didn't, and you're right. Is that what you'd like to hear?"

It seemed to shock him into silence because he closed his mouth and looked at her in mild surprise. Then he sneered at her and laughed.

"Well listen to that. The perfect Quistis Trepe she just admitted she was wrong. And to me of all people."

"Don't get used to it." She snapped out, her annoyance building. "Seifer will you just answer my damn questions so we can get this over with? Then I can get out of here and leave you alone with… whatever the hell it is you do."

"Don't get testy Trepe. Actually go right ahead, it's actually kind of hot to see you get all worked up."

Quistis tamped down her temper skillfully and schooled her face into a mask of patience. "That's fine then, take your time. I assume you don't mind if I make myself comfortable?"

She was anything but, though she put on a good show, plucking a dirty t-shirt from the faded couch with the tips of her fingers. She dropped it on the floor and sat down, looking up at him with cool blue eyes.

"This ice queen persona is not quite as interesting…" His voice drifted from behind her, and then she felt his breath hot against her neck as he leaned close over the back of the couch. "Just what does it take to melt you?"

"That's not something you're going to find out. And besides, you should be the one answering _my_ questions here, not vice versa."

Though his nearness had flustered her Quistis kept her voice steady and her gaze ahead until he moved away.

"Yeah fine okay. I saw you and Xu talking to Jittery…"

"Jittery?"

"Yeah he was all nervous and shit, sweating up a storm, rubbing his hands together and shaking. You could tell he was scared of something. I couldn't hear anything you guys were saying, it was crowded there that night, usually is on Fridays."

He paused then and she turned, looking to him to continue. His eyes had a faraway look in them, and he seemed to be recalling something. He slid back into the present and his eyes met hers, staring steadily until she looked away, examining her nails.

"Anyway…" He continued to speak as he made his way around the couch and lowered himself to it beside her. "You guys left and then Jittery takes all these crumpled papers out of his pockets and looks at them for a minute. Puts em away and then leaves too. I finished my beer and went out a few minutes later…"

Quistis pursed her lips. If that was all, he certainly hadn't seen anything more than the other regulars. Feeling as though her journey had been a waste she opened her mouth but then realized he was still speaking.

"I decided to take the short cut home, through the alley. It was dark and I 'bout damn near tripped over it… the body that is." His eyes met hers, which had gone wide with shock. "And before you ask, you know why I didn't report finding it. There was blood everywhere, all over the walls, in the trash, on the ground. He had one of those crumpled papers still in his hand. I took off after that. Didn't see anyone else lurking around."

"Wait you said he had a paper in his hand?"

"Yeah. That's what I said Trepe."

"The investigators didn't find one at the scene, nor any on his person." Quistis murmured out this information, her fingers drumming against her knee thoughtfully.

"So whoever did him went back for them then. Between when I saw him and when whoever reported it found the body. Must have been something they didn't want anyone knowing."

She lifted her head, blinking up at him before she nodded once. A thready sigh left her lips and she gazed out at the sun sinking slowly through the hazy windows.

"We should have protected him, taken him back to Garden or had him under guard. He was obviously afraid of something. But he wouldn't tell us, and we thought maybe he was just a little nuts, upset about having lost his job."

She couldn't explain why she was telling this to Seifer, he certainly didn't need to know the details of the case and he wasn't the kind of man to offer comfort or words of assurance.

"Yeah you probably should have." He said simply, leaning back against the couch. "But there's nothing you can do now. Besides, he did seem a little crazy."

She smiled slightly, and for some reason she did feel better.


	5. Bad things come in dozens

Disclaimer: SquareEnix owns FFVIII and all its characters.

Author's Note: Warning, there is an implied character death in this chapter. I can neither confirm nor deny it at this time but you've been warned! Also, I updated this because someone pointed out my line breaks between scenes were not showing up, so I had to fiddle around with that! A new chapter should be up in the next couple of days though!

Chapter 4: Bad things come in dozens

_Sparkling angel I believed_

_You are my savior in my time of need_

_Blinded by faith I couldn't hear_

_All the whispers, the warnings so clear_

_I see the angels_

_I'll lead them to your door…"_

_Angels- Within Temptation_

Quistis was back at Garden late the same evening she'd left. She felt bone-tired and slightly queasy. The ride back hadn't been any smoother than the trip to Fisherman's Horizon had been. She'd only spent a few hours with Seifer, but they'd been tense and uncomfortable hours broken by strange periods of mutual understanding or the comfort one finds in another who is also alone.

Garden was quiet now, and the halls were kept dark but for the strip of pale blue light sunk into the sides of the hallways to guide anyone who happened to be walking around after dark. All the students would be safely tucked into bed now as it was long past curfew.

Quistis could still see the remnants of today's festival around; sagging streamers hanging from the ceilings in loops, punctuated by cheerful bouquets of fake flowers. Confetti littered the floor beneath her, causing interruptions in the steady sound of her shoes resounding against the marble.

As she made her way towards the elevator she passed the large hall where the party had been held. One door was propped open and she could see a lone figure in a workman's uniform using a broom to drag piles of confetti and flower petals across the littered floor. The buffet table sat long-empty, its pale yellow cloth stained with food and drink.

The pungent scent of flowers was heavy in the air and Quistis glanced down at the rose petals that she'd crushed beneath her feet. Their once delicate pink countenances were now bruised purple and bleeding streaks of thickly scented perfume across the white stones. Shaking them from her boots Quistis hurried on her way, leaving the smell of spring behind her.

Two floors up the dormitory halls were cool and absent of any smell thanks to the efficient air recycling systems. The metal doors of the elevator slid shut with a faint breath of sound. She reached up to pull her glasses off, fingers rubbing at the bridge of her nose. She folded them and slipped them into her pocket. She was just contemplating the reality of her soft bed when she spied the figure in front of her doorway.

Leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest Squall looked as weary as she felt. Wishing she'd left her glasses on Quistis came to a stop in front of him.

"I thought my report could wait till the morning."

He didn't acknowledge her and the set of his posture had her straightening, wondering if she was in some sort of trouble. She could feel a trickle of sweat gather at the base of her neck and slide down the line of her spine, leaving an itch in its wake. She desperately wanted a shower before curling under the cool clean sheets.

"Squall what is this about?" She concentrated on keeping her voice even and without irritation.

He gazed at her for a long moment and then looked away.

"It's about Cid. The tribunal is convening in the morning. Cid's being accused of various crimes..."

The man shifted, pressing a folder into her hands before sweeping his own through his brown hair. The eyes that looked at her then seemed slightly desperate.

"Read it. I don't know if we can help him..."

Squall pushed away from the wall and walked off; his booted footsteps echoing long after his image passed her view. Quistis stared after him, and then down at the heavy file in her hands.

What was happening?

oooOOOOooo

President Laguna Liore gazed out of the viewport of one of Esthar City's finest air ships. The sleek creation was making trek towards Balamb Garden for the morning's Tribunal; a gathering of all the Commanders and Headmasters of Garden and the leaders of the more powerful cities. It was sort of a court if you will, formed in order to judge other leaders. Crimes in such a position of power were not dealt with lightly.

Laguna pondered the summons for this current meeting. No matter how many times he tried to look at it, he simply could not reconcile the crimes listed in the file before him with the man he knew as Cid Kramer.

-Abuse of power

-Conspiracy to commit fraud

-Conspiracy to seize power of one or all of the following: Galbadia Garden, Deiling City, Trabia Garden, Balamb City

-Conspiracy to commit murder

-Protecting persons with varied criminal backgrounds

-Illegal sale of arms, magic, and potions

-Illegal medical experimentation on monsters

-Illegal medical experimentation on Garden personnel and students

The list went on to list several lesser offenses, including the harboring of dangerous persons: i.e. Sorceresses, which Laguna figured was the only real "crime" on that list that Cid had even committed. However the accusers would present their evidence at the trial to come and he wasn't allowed to pass his judgment until then.

Laguna closed the file again, frowning slightly as he paced the deck. The metal floor sounded back his steps and he paced several times before coming to a stop at the ship's control center. This late it was unmanned and running on autopilot. The few crewmen and his two companions, Kiros and Ward, were all turned in for the night. Being unable to sleep the President had slipped from his own bunk and come to use the quiet few hours to think.

His eyes moved over the buttons and flashing lights of the control board briefly. Laguna wasn't really sure what most of them did, seeing as he didn't know how to pilot the vessel. Still, it became apparent to him that the little red light labeled "Engine- Left" was blinking rapidly, in a way that could only mean "danger!" He searched for the comm. button to call for help, but when he touched the panel smoke and sparks burst out at him, making him stumble backwards.

"Shit."

He stared dumbfounded for a second as the light marked "Engine- Right" began to blink in time with its mate, and the panel erupted in shrill warning sound, sputtering half-heartedly through the ruptured speakers.

Laguna turned to see Kiros and Ward, followed by the two crewmen, barreling into the room, shouting at him about escape pods and yanking him out of his reverie. Strong hands wrapped around his arms and he found his feet beneath him, propelling himself along towards the rear of the ship. It was when he realized that the trek was an uphill climb that he knew the craft was making a deadly nose-dive for the ground below.

There was no time to make it to the life pods.

oooOOOOOooo

Morning came with a heavy air of trepidation. Students moved quietly to their classes, SeeDs spoke only hesitantly of missions, and the teachers and senior staff went to pains to try and ease their fears. Cid Kramer was beloved by most who knew him. He had a certain father-like quality with his students; many of whom had no real families of their own.

Quistis donned her dark uniform that morning. Her hair secured and the circles under her eyes carefully hidden by makeup she made her way to the cafeteria for a light breakfast before the tribunal meeting.

She'd spent much of the night before going over the file Squall had left with her. She'd been shocked by the charges that the headmaster was being accused of. Her first step had been to access the garden's information banks to try and find anything that could help. What she'd come across had been shocking.

She'd found several large money transfers from Cid's accounts to other unknown third parties. This wouldn't be so strange, after all Garden was a large place, and they were known to purchase supplies such as weapons and magic from places that usually held anonymous accounts. But the frequency of these transfers had taken a sharp increase in the last two months, and only to the same account, located in Esthar.

Quistis could overlook that, certain that Cid would have a good explanation for it. But then she'd found something else troubling. The Headmaster had missed several important meetings in the last few months, and his whereabouts at the time were unaccounted for, also the surveillance camera outside his office had been tampered with. Even though these were all slightly suspicious, none of them proved anything illegal was happening. Still she felt the accusers would try to use it against him. At least they would be prepared.

Quistis knew Cid Kramer. The man was like a father to her, in fact having helped raise her for part of her adolescent life. Those memories were faint still, and cloudy in her mind, but she could recall the reassuring sound of his voice as he checked for monster's under her bed in the room she'd shared with Selphie... or the feel of his arms when he'd scoop her up for a big bear hug and make her feel safe and protected from the outside world. Surely a man such as that could never have done the things they said.

Entering the cafeteria she made her way over to the line, selecting a cranberry muffin and a small bowl of cereal. She grabbed a banana and was waiting to get to the coffee machine when she heard a voice behind her.

"Quisty! I'm so glad you're back. Did you hear about Headmaster Cid?"

Selphie's big green eyes blinked up at her tearily. It was early enough that there were only a few people there yet, and she could see Irvine making his way over to them at a relaxed pace. His face was shadowed though and he looked as if he'd gotten as much sleep as she had. Selphie slid up behind her and reached for an apple tart and some overly sugared cereal that Quistis didn't really think she needed. She too had opted for her SeeD uniform today and it was strange to see her in something other than her cutesy brightly colored outfits.

"I heard Selphie. Squall was waiting for me last night. I stayed up half the night with the files and trying to figure out some way to help."

"I'm sure we can. He couldn't have done all those awful things." Selphie nabbed a carton of orange juice and plunked it onto her tray. "I don't think they could have proof of any of it."

"Let's hope you're right."

"Of course she is." Irvine spoke up smoothly from behind his girlfriend. He offered Quistis a wink as he added a cheese Danish and an iced tea to Selphie's tray. "In order to have proof he'd have to have actually committed those crimes. We know Cid Kramer, probably better than most, and he could never do those things."

He spoke with such assurance that her confidence felt bolstered and she smiled over at the cowboy as she tipped cream into her coffee.

"You're right Irvine."

"We just got to think positive like." He drawled as they settled at an empty table with their breakfasts. "Cid's gonna need the confidence, need to know we believe him one-hundred percent."

Talk slowed as they picked at their breakfasts and were soon joined by Rinoa, who seemed to be missing a limb without Squall shadowing her step this morning. She looked tired and settled across from Quistis with her yogurt and tea. Dressed simply in a short sleeved mock turtle-neck of pale blue and a knee-length black skirt the young woman looked polished and perfect, despite the weariness in her brown gaze.

"Squall got called in early this morning." She supplied, peeling the foil cap from her meal. "The tribunal isn't supposed to meet until 10 but it was some emergency."

"Why is it when one thing goes wrong, everything does?" Selphie's cheery voice wavered over the dismal statement awkwardly, like a child voicing a cigarette ad.

Rinoa shrugged her slender shoulders and stirred the yogurt, staring down at it before taking a bite.

"Isn't there some old saying about bad things coming in threes?"

"In this place I'd say things come in dozens." Irvine commented before taking another bite of his Danish.

His fingertips brushed over a napkin, leaving behind a trail of icing before he bunched it up, tossing the crumpled projectile into the garbage can near the end of the table. It bounced off the rim instead and landed at the booted feet of one Zell Dincht. The blonde man grinned, his tray loaded down with various breakfast foods.

"Ya missed."

Sliding the tray onto the table he grabbed the napkin and chucked it properly away before taking his seat.

"Don't we all look glum this morning? Even Selphie. Boy you guys sure are worried over nothing. You know this whole thing with Headmaster Cid is total crap. The tribunal won't find a thing and this will all just be a memory."

Zell spoke easily between mouthfuls of eggs and sausage, not seeming to have lost his appetite at all. Apparently he really did believe that the trial was nothing to worry about. Sometimes the young man could be so naïve.

However Irvine was easily nodding in agreement. "That's what I've been telling em. There's no way there could be proof of Cid doing any of those things he's accused of…"

"That's not true." Rinoa spoke up, causing all eyes to move her way. She looked uneasy for a moment, and then cleared her throat. "It says on the list that the Headmaster is protecting sorceresses, and he is. Edea and myself. You know some people… on the tribunal have a… wariness of sorceresses. They're going to attack him for that."

"No one could say anything about him wanting to protect his wife, besides we proved after the last war that she wasn't personally responsible for what happened."

Quistis set aside her empty mug as she spoke and tucked her blonde hair away from her eyes.

Rinoa offered her a small smile. "That's true, but knowing that doesn't always change what people think does it? After all, Seifer was proven innocent in that very same trial, but I doubt very much he lives the life of a free man. They wouldn't even let him back into Garden."

"That jerk wasn't possessed." Zell said loudly through a mouthful of eggs. "And he was always an asshole. Ultimicia just let him act on it."

Quistis narrowed her eyes as she looked down at her tray and smoothed her napkin over her lap.

"I know you never liked him Zell, but despite Seifer's… attitude problems he wasn't fully in control of his actions. Ultimicia played off his memories and his desires to bend him to her will. He was being controlled, more like… manipulated. Not in the same way as Matron was, which is why he wasn't allowed back here."

Zell shook his head. "You're way too nice for your own good Quisty. That jerk got you fired from your instructor position."

"It would be easy to place the blame on him…" She said softly, gathering up her tray. "But no, it was my fault Zell. And Cid was right about the decisions he made. I understand that now."

She dumped off her tray into the bin and placed it on top of the others already stacked there. "I'll see you all at the trial."

Zell and the others watched as the walked away, the blonde strands of hair curling out of her clip bouncing with her measured steps. The tattooed man blinked and then turned back to his meal.

"Well that was weird."

The murmurs of agreement around the table were genuine, but there was a curious look in Selphie's eyes as she gazed at the door which her friend had just left from.


	6. Trials and Errors

Disclaimer: Don't own FFVIII, SquareEnix does, but I do own the original characters seen in this chapter.

Author's Note: This is a relatively long chapter for me and I really am not totally happy with it. But I blame it on being sick when I wrote that bit. Maybe one day I'll try and tackle it to rewrite but for now I'm relieved to be past the trial scenes and am just going to keep working on my newer chapters. Thanks guys!

Chapter 5: Trials and Errors

"_Dark devotion in a beacon paradise_

_Shows no emotion to a willing sacrifice_

_You can put a man on trial, but you can't make the guilty pay_

_You can cage an animal, but you can't take away the rage"_

_Heroes- Shinedown_

Quistis made her way to the conference room on the top story of Garden at a quarter to nine. She was bolstered with another two cups of coffee that left a spring in her step despite the pile of files that was loaded into her arms. Her heels cut a sharp staccato against the marble tile, then muffled out against the carpet as she stepped in through the open doors into the large conference room.

She balanced the stack of files against her hip and eased it onto the long polished table, then adjusted her glasses into place. Conversation was a mute hush about her, and she realized that despite being there fifteen minutes early nearly all of the senior staff had already arrived.

Balamb Garden was given the position of defending their Headmaster in the coming trial. They could all compile evidence and testimonials, and it had been decided Nida, as a respected SeeD and longtime resident would serve as Cid's... spokesperson. Squall would be sitting on the tribunal, and Quistis herself was too close to the man to be considered.

As she took her seat Xu gave her a reassuring smile from across the table, and then looked up when two other figures walked into the room. Neither Selphie nor Irvine was on the senior staff at Garden, despite being high ranking SeeDs of great talent. Before they could question their presence Squall stood and motioned the new comers to sit.

"I know the purpose of this meeting was to discuss our defense for the headmaster. But something else has come up..."

Quistis' first thought was, _"What else could go wrong?"_ She only lifted her head to look at Squall, her hands laced in her lap. She was faintly aware of the clip digging into the back of her skull, and the fact that her pantyhose were riding up beneath her modest uniform skirt.

"The ship from Esthar was due in this morning nearly three hours ago. It never arrived."

There were murmurs and gasps, and Selphie's hands tightened on the edge of the table until her knuckles turned white. Her fondness for the Estharian President was certainly no secret.

"We messaged Esthar and they told us they had lost contact with the vessel somewhere around the halfway point. They were alarmed when we told them the ship had never gotten here."

Xu frowned, a line furrowing between her brows and tapped a short, well manicured nail against the table.

"Laguna would have been Cid's biggest supporter on that tribunal aside from you Commander. Do we suspect foul play?"

"I think it's likely, considering." Squall's face was an impassive mask. If he felt for the loss of a father only recently found, he wasn't showing it.

"Well we have to postpone the trial then."

Squall shook his head, interrupting Quistis. "I already asked and they said no. They said Esthar can send another representative."

"They're not going to want to send someone after this. And whoever they'd send wouldn't arrive on time." Xu frowned, brushing her dark hair away from her eyes. "And what do we plan on doing about this? If something really did happen to the President's ship... we need to find out."

"That's why I called for SeeDs Tilmitt and Kinneas to join us. I'm sending them in the Ragnarok to go and investigate. You'll proceed immediately to the area where Esthar lost contact with the vessel. We'll go on with the trial as scheduled. All the information will be recorded for the Estharian representative."

Squall paused as he gathered up a file and passed it over to Irvine. He wasn't sure if this Commander job was sitting so well with him. It seemed he had to talk more and more these days.

"Anything you find you'll report back. Let's hope its good news... You two are dismissed. Prepare and leave as soon as possible."

They stood, Selphie looking pale as they saluted briefly and left the room.

Squall watched them go, feeling a strange pang in his heart that he recognized as hope. Hope that they really did return with good news. He turned to the others left in the room.

"Well... shall we proceed?"

oooOOOOooo

One of the small assembly rooms had been converted into a makeshift courtroom of sorts for the tribunal. The rows of seats were to be used for those watching the proceedings. Naturally Garden had to take security measures to make sure that only approved persons attended, after all there was hardly enough room to hold all who were curious about what was going to happen to Cid.

A long curved table shaped like a horseshoe was arranged at the head of the room and flanked on one side with seats for those who would play judge and jury to the Headmaster. At each of the places sat a multitude of labeled folders containing the charges and notebooks which they were free to use to record their own observations. Beside that table sat a chair to serve as a witness seat and then facing both that and the judges' table were two smaller tables. Each of these had two chairs behind them and were currently empty, their smooth shining surfaces reflecting the glare of the overhead lights.

Xu slid open the _staff members only_ entry way from the front and held the door wide. The leaders of the other Gardens and the major cities filed in, each taking a place at the curved table in turn. Squall ended up in the center, flanked by Martine on one side, and Headmaster Abere Randolf of the newly restored Trabia Garden. The various leaders of the major cities sat around them. The last seat, reserved for Esthar, sat empty and the members of the tribunal glanced at it with some uneasiness.

The sound of new shoes tapping across the floor had their attention drawn to the newest arrival. The investigator was tall with a narrow yet handsome face, and black hair that was tamed into place and parted ruthlessly on one side. His eyes, a burn of molten gold, set straight ahead as he made his way towards one of the smaller tables.

A harried assistant hustled along behind him, his glasses slipping slightly off his nose. He carted a huge pile of folders and papers in his arms, which he balanced precariously against his knee before dropping them to the table with a resounding _"thunk"_ that had his colleague glaring daggers at him. His brown hair looked as though he'd stuck his finger in a light socket, or simply ran his hands through it repeatedly. Straightening the haphazard tie he took his seat as well, and began organizing their papers.

Nida was the next to enter the room with Headmaster Cid by his side. Those already gathered stopped to watch the accused move to take his seat. The man was dressed in a suit, a departure from his habitual sweater-vest ensemble. It made him look younger, the jacket disguising the slight paunch of his stomach that had come from age and years spent behind a desk rather than in activity. He seemed weary as he lowered himself to his chair and Xu leaned close to tell him something, squeezing his shoulder briefly before moving to sit behind him in the first row of seats.

Nida, with his own pile of files and papers, was all business, and spoke now and again to the older man as he fingered through their evidence. A glance at the other table showed him that the accusers had slightly more to offer than they had, but then who knew how long this man had been snooping around? They'd had merely a day to try and put together a defense for Cid Kramer.

The doors at the rear of the room whispered open, the sentry of two uniformed SeeDs ushering people in, and checking for those who didn't belong. Quistis made her way to the front to sit beside Xu and leaned close to whisper.

"I don't recognize that guy who is supposed to be Cid's accuser. Who is he?"

"Some investigator named Albert Bretch. Said he was hired by an anonymous third party to look into the activities of all Gardens. Brought some minor charges against Galbadia Garden too, but nothing like this."

Quistis frowned, her fingers curling at the hem of her skirt.Others were beginning to file in, and she found Rinoa sitting beside her, offering her hand a friendly squeeze. Zell crammed in on Xu's other side and leaned across the woman to give them a thumbs up.

A hush fell over the room when Squall stood. If he wasn't so good at that blank poker face of his, one might have realized how uneasy he was to be speaking in front of so many people. The sound of someone in the back row coughing seemed overly loud and someone else shifted, their feet scraping against the floor.

"Inspector Bretch, if you'd like to begin."

The Commander sat once more as the man addressed stood. He tugged at the lapels of his suit jacket, straightening away the wrinkles where it bunched over broad shoulders.

"Thank you Commander. As the Tribunal is aware, the list of charges is in the folder in front of each of you. We are prepared to offer proof in the form of witnesses, records, photographs and other means. I will call my first witness."

The woman who took the witness chair seemed unfamiliar and rather unremarkable. Her brown hair was pulled into a knot at the nape of her neck and she wore a simple summer suit of drab grey. She bit into her lip nervously and twisted her hands together when asked to testify to what she'd seen one evening several weeks back.

"I was on my break, from work ya see… and I went outside for a smoke." Her voice was hoarse, and she took a rattling breath before continuing. "I saw two men outside, talking in hushed voices. One of em, came round regular… was the criminal type. The other man, that is, who I now know to be Mr. Cid Kramer, gave Gabriel some money, a whole wad of it."

She licked her lips and her gaze darted nervously to the Inspector, who approached her, his hands tucked into his pants pockets with casual ease.

"And do you happen to know what this Mr.… Gabriel's trade is?"

"If you mean what he sells then sure, yeah I do. Gabriel deals in all sort of illegal stuff… drugs, weapons… you name it. It's the kind of stuff that even places like Gardens won't let ya use, cause it's just too dangerous…"

"And you say you're certain you saw Mr. Kramer giving him money?"

She nodded once. "Yes it was him."

oooOOOOooo

"My next witness is SeeD Xu Himamoto."

Quistis glanced at her friend in surprise and the woman shrugged in return, standing to move to the witness chair. So far the trial had been going surprisingly bad. Investigator Bretch seemed to have a multitude of witnesses and records that proved the Headmaster had committed all these crimes. She couldn't figure how he'd done it, but this all had to be fake.

Xu sat with her legs crossed at the ankles, angling her head to look directly at the man questioning her.

"SeeD Himamoto… you and SeeD Quistis Trepe recently went to Fisherman's Horizon to meet a contact did you not?"

Startled, it took a moment for her to answer. "Yes, we did. Not more than a week ago."

"And the man you were meeting there, I believe was a recently unemployed scientist who worked under the prominent Doctor Odine in Esthar?"

"Yes."

"And this same man wound up dead that very night that you met with him?"

"Unfortunately yes."

"Would you say that SeeD Quistis Trepe has a close relationship with the Headmaster?"

Xu frowned at the man, blinking at the change in questioning. "I don't know what you're implying. Headmaster Cid is close to everyone who works with him."

"But isn't it true that Miss Trepe was in fact raised by Cid Kramer? Don't you think that would qualify as a close relationship?" The Inspector had since shed his jacket, and his shirt sleeves were rolled up to expose powerful forearms.

"I suppose so but--."

He cut her off, turning to address the jury of leaders. "Of course, that means that she would certainly do whatever her Headmaster asked of her. Can you account for SeeD Trepe's whereabouts the entire time you were staying in Fisherman's Horizon?"

"Of course. We were together the whole time." Xu sneered at the man in distaste, not liking where this line of questioning was going.

"I'm sure at some point you went to sleep. Now be truthful, was it possible Miss Trepe vacated the hotel room at some point while you were resting?"

Clenching her hands in her lap the dark-haired woman managed to keep her temper in check. She stared at the Inspector, a muscle in her jaw ticking slightly. "It's highly unlikely that--."

"Yes or no answer Miss Himamoto. Is it possible?" The man was in her face now, but his expression never wavered, and despite the warmth of the relatively small lecture hall he wasn't breaking a sweat.

"Yes, it's possible." The words were bit out and Xu sent Quistis an apologetic glance.

"Then it's possible that Miss Trepe was under orders from the Headmaster to eliminate the very same man you had gone that night to meet. It's possible that your entire mission was a fake in order to accomplish this task, and that night while you slept, your colleague was out taking care of the job?"

"That's preposterous!" Xu shouted, standing up in her chair.

Around the room other irritated exclamations were going out amongst those present. Rinoa was firmly assuring a very pale and angered Quistis that no one believed such a thing and Zell was threatening to kick the butt of the Inspector loudly.

It wasn't until Squall stood suddenly, his chair scraping against the floor, a resounding, "BE QUIET!!" ushering forth from his lips, that the room once again fell silent.

All eyes turned to him, round and wide with shock.

He cleared his throat, his voice returning to its normal level. "We'll call a recess until tomorrow morning."

oooOOOOooo

"No one can possibly believe that Quistis killed that man."

Rinoa's voice was insistent but soft in the crowded Commander's office. Cid was sitting slumped in the chair behind the desk, his wife Edea hovering by his side. She looked up at her children and their friends with worry in her lovely eyes.

"We don't know that for sure Rinoa. After all, Cid didn't do any of the terrible things they're saying, but that man seems to have an endless supply of so-called _proof_. What if they decide to bring forth information about Quistis as well? More than just posturing and what-if scenarios..."

"What we need…" Squall spoke up from where he was leaning against the desk, the hard wood biting into his hip. "Is undeniable proof that Quistis didn't kill that man. The way to get that is to find out who really did."

Xu was nodding in agreement. "And that would get the murder charge off Cid's list too, which is one thing. We'll have to start working on this other stuff… looking into these so-called witnesses and verifying his records. I don't buy this for a minute."

"So…" Squall continued. "Someone has to go to Fisherman's Horizon and start looking into that. I can't spare you Xu, or Nida. Quistis… since I'm sure you're eager to clear your own name, I think you should go."

She blinked once, still reeling from the fact that she'd been accused of cold-blooded murder. She could remember the way the poor man had trembled under her comforting hand, how scared he'd been. She lifted her head then, and nodded, a gleam shining in her eyes.

"You're right. I do want to clear my name, and I want to find out who is responsible for that man's death."


	7. Hotel Room Etiquette

Disclaimer: I still do not own FFVIII or its characters.

Author's Note: I decided to put out two chapters at once because I really was not happy with how Chapter 5 turned out, however I was fairly pleased with the second part of this chapter so I hope after my brief battle with being sick I'm now back in the groove.

Chapter 6: Hotel room etiquette

"_Take me away_

_A secret place_

_A sweet escape_

_Take me away_

_To better days"_

_A Pocketful of Sunshine- Natasha Bedingfield_

It was pouring when the ship docked in Fisherman's Horizon and Quistis departed reluctantly, stepping into the torrential downpour. The rain was warm, born of the humidity of an overly warm spring. Overhead electricity crackled in the air and would have made her hair stand on end were it not plastered to her scalp from the rain water.

She'd departed Balamb Garden that very evening and still wore her SeeD uniform. The cotton was now clinging to her, the bow mashed unflatteringly against her chest and she was sure her leather pumps were ruined. Gripping her bag in her hand she reached up to rub water away from her lenses futilely and looked around.

The small town of Fisherman's Horizon boasted only one hotel, situated along the shore about four blocks from the dock. Xu had booked her the regular Garden "suite" before she'd left and Quistis was hoping for a nice hot shower before she plugged her portable computer into the local network and did a little research.

She skirted around the deeper puddles despite the fact that her shoes were probably already ruined and clenched her hand more tightly around the strap of her bag as thunder crackled loudly overhead. It wasn't that storms made her nervous, just that she didn't want to be struck by lightning. With her current luck that would seem to be increasingly likely.

Her pace kicked up water behind her and she blinked to see through her blurry spectacles, before pulling them off and sliding them into her pocket. She swept her matted locks away from her face and let out a small breath. Things certainly weren't going well for them. She was in the hot seat with Cid now, and she wasn't sure what she'd be able to find here to prove her own innocence let alone his. The case had been a dead end one before it had been dumped on their laps; all the evidence had disappeared and whoever was responsible was certainly good.

Quistis chewed her lower lip in worry, feeling a sense of dismay wash over her. If she failed to bring back evidence here then it was likely she would go to prison as well. It was all up to her to save herself; they hadn't been able to spare anyone to send with her. Most of Garden was involved in Cid's case; Zell had taken a team out to do background checks on the witnesses and their stories, Selphie and Irvine were on their mission to see what had become of the Estharian ship, and the others needed to remain at Garden during the trial.

So wrapped up in her dismal thoughts Quistis missed the uneven stone jutting out of the street. Her wet heels slid against the slick surface and she put her hands out to catch herself, closing her eyes tightly.

Strong hands gripped her biceps, hauling her upright before she'd fallen very far and Quistis found herself blinking up through a curtain of wet hair at very familiar green eyes.

"Instructor… we have to stop meeting like this."

She had to tilt her head back to look at him, and was briefly unaware of how close together they were standing, or of her hands pressed flat against his chest, t-shirt plastered against the muscles there. The warmth of his hands on her arms slid through her like a slow burn and she pushed at his chest firmly, taking a slow step back as he released her.

"Back in FH already? What did you miss me?" His grin was short and cocky but his brow dipped over his eyes mockingly in a way it never had before.

She cast her gaze around and her eyes lit on her bag sitting in a puddle beside her feet. With a curse she snatched it up, worried that her personal computer might be damaged.

As if reading her mind he spoke up, "Don't worry, those Garden travel packs are definitely weather proof. I dumped Chicken Wuss' into the fountain once before a training mission."

She raised a brow at him, but relief feathered over her features. A breeze blew in off the coast and had her shivering briefly before it passed and she found herself silently staring at him. He looked back at her then shrugged and made to move past her. She found herself grabbing his arm to stop him and he turned to look at her in mild confusion, some measure of annoyance passing a scowl over his lips.

"Why don't you come in with me for a drink? I can't imagine that apartment of yours is much shelter during a storm like this."

_What are you DOING??!_ Her mind screamed at her the moment the words left her lips and she found herself agreeing with it. His look seemed to mirror her thoughts, or maybe he just thought that wasn't the first spill she'd taken today and she'd knocked her head.

"Okay."

oooOOOOooo

Irvine slid his hat up on his head and stretched his sore muscles as he unfolded his lanky body from the co-pilot seat of the Ragnarok where he'd been sleeping. Selphie was curled sideways in the pilot's chair with the ship running autopilot to their destination. A glance at the console told him they were nearing the pre-set coordinates and he leaned over to nudge his companion's shoulder gently. She stirred, lifting her head and he could see crease marks across her cheek where her face had pressed into the shoulder of her uniform as she slept.

Rubbing her eyes blearily Selphie was leaning forward, fingers dancing nimbly over the controls. She stretched briefly, tossing her shoulder length hair before turning to look at him.

"We'll circle low once we get there and see if we can see any signs of a crash in the area, then we'll make our way towards Esthar flying low." Her hands were trembling on the controls and she pressed them together in her lap, glancing up at him.

Irvine slid towards the edge of his seat, studying the set of her jaw and how her green eyes seemed overly large in her pale face. He reached out to close his palm over both her small hands and they felt clammy to the touch.

"All the ships from Esthar come equipped with escape pods. If there were no other options we have to believe that they got out."

She nodded once, straightening her shoulders in an attempt to look positive though he knew better. They'd been up late the night before because of the trial with Cid, stressed to begin with, and this on top of it. Even Selphie's usually sunny personality was having a hard time holding up beneath everything that was happening. His train of thought was interrupted by the pinging of an alarm from the pilot's console and Selphie drew away to press a few buttons.

"We're at their last known location…" The radar screen blipped monotonously and she frowned, glancing at him. "It's not catching anything big enough to be the airship."

"Move us closer. We'll do a visual scan for wreckage, and if we don't find anything we'll assume they made an emergency landing near the coast and head that way."

Ragnarok shuddered slightly and he felt the strange sensation of weightlessness that struck right before descent. Standing unsteadily he made his way towards the front viewport, his eyes scanning the ocean below. The waves were rough; an effect of the storm brewing further south that had given them some mild turbulence on the trip out. He frowned, stepping back slightly to regard a larger field of vision.

"Damn…" The curse came muttered through his lips as the watery shadow of a submerged airship could be made out between the tufts of foaming waves.

As they drew closer he could see pieces of it, gleaming metal, silver and violet slashed with the symbols of Esthar, one wing broke the waves, apparently still attached to the hull of the great ship. The remnants of the other floated about in different pieces surrounded by other bits of machinery and Hyne knew what else. He sighed, rubbing his hand over his chin.

"Selph…" He called back to her. "We're going to want to find somewhere to land and take a boat out to investigate. They definitely crashed."

She was quiet, which made his heart feel heavy in his chest, but Ragnarok banked to the right, circling around towards land. Irvine took one last look at the wreckage as the waves battered against its wing and hoped to Hyne they didn't find bodies floating amongst the flotsam.

oooOOOOooo

Quistis had to settle for a quick rub down with a hotel towel and a change of clothes instead of the long hot bath she'd been thinking of, but she really had no one to blame except herself.

She rifled through her bag and was relieved to find her laptop without water damage. Her hair was hanging damp down her back and leaving a line of water against the back of her clean tee. In the bathroom just behind her Seifer's t-shirt hung in the tub drying with her own clothing, though neither one of them had broached the subject of his wet pants. She watched him from the corner of her eye as she slid the laptop onto the desk and flipped it open. He was rubbing a towel over his hair as he stood in the bathroom doorway. The water had made the fabric of his jeans heavy (and likely uncomfortable) and the weighted fabric was riding dangerously low on his hips.

Quistis quickly averted her gaze as she started up the computer and crossed to the mini bar near the small fridge in the corner of her room. She studied the rows of bottles and selected some wine for herself, turning to ask Seifer what he wanted. She found him hanging his jeans beside the other clothes in the shower, the towel now around his waist and her mouth opened, making her feel slightly like a guppy before she snapped it shut.

"What do you think you're doing?"

He turned to look at her. "What? My clothes are wet."

"Yes but…" _Now you're practically naked!_ She thought, too cowardly to say it.

"What? You didn't expect me to sit around in wet jeans did you Trepe? Fuck don't you know those things chafe?"

She felt the heat rise in her face as her mind contemplated just what that comment was implying.

"Fine!" She snapped. "But you can't just sit around here in nothing but a towel!"

"You want me to take it off?" He said, his hands moving to his waist.

"No!" She protested too quickly, flustered by his actions. "Look… these rooms usually have complimentary bathrobes. Check for one in there."

A quick search had him finding one on the back of the door and he changed into it, thankfully with the door still closed. Quistis poured herself a glass of wine and had already swallowed half of it when he came out. Clothed in the white terry-cloth robe with the hotel's initials over the chest. He was still far from clothed but she felt marginally more comfortable, certain that the bathrobe wouldn't randomly come undone like the towel might have.

_Too bad_, the traitorous little part of her mind thought and she squashed that down, refilling her glass. He raised his brows at her briefly and moved back towards the mini bar, getting a fresh glass for him.

He sat in one of the two chairs near the balcony, which the hotel had boasted was a "beautiful ocean view". With the storm brewing outside the sea seemed more dangerous than beautiful. She could see that the tide had come in and that the waves crashing along the beach were battering down the sand. The pier down the coast was being rocked, and the boats were bobbing like doomed bath toys in an exuberant child's basin.

Seifer had asked for a scotch and she handed him the glass, studying the way the dim overhead lights bounced off the amber liquid.

He took a sip, pausing to let the drink burn down his throat and looked at her, his eyes curious. He had never expected anyone from Garden to be nice to him after all that had happened. But here she was, unexpectedly offering him shelter from the storm, having a drink with him in companionship. If he looked at her he could see the girl she had been when they'd grown up together at the Orphanage in Centra, but she was a woman now, and though her eyes were the same shade of blue there was something sad about them. He wondered if there was a reason, or if your joys, like your dreams simply died with your childhood.

Frowning at his thoughts he took another long drink of the scotch and rubbed a hand over his drying hair.

"Why are you back here anyway?"


	8. Drowning and alcoholic kisses

Disclaimer: I don't own FFVIII and any of the characters

Author's Note: I'm pleased with this chapter, hooray! It has a nice chunk of Selphie/Irvine too so be warned. Also, after writing this I'm thinking my rating may eventually go up. grins Thanks so much to my reviewers! You're wonderful comments help me to continue!

Chapter 7: Drowning and alcoholic kisses

_I feel the dream in me expire_

_  
and there's no one left to blame it on _

_  
I hear you label me a liar _

_  
'cause I can't seem to get this through _

_  
You say it's over, I can sigh again, _

_  
Why try to stay sober when I'm dying here_

_Fine Again- Seether_

Selphie descended from Ragnarok, shading her eyes from the sun as she made her way across the beach where Irvine was preparing the small motorboat they'd brought along. His shoulders were tense as he loaded supplies; portable scuba gear, food and water, blankets and first aid, into the craft. Neither of them thought they would find any survivors at the crash site, and knew that if those aboard were to have survived they would have had to have made it to the escape pods. At least a cursory exploration would let them know if the pods had been ejected.

She double checked her spells and junctions once before remote locking Ragnarok from the key that dangled off her moomba keychain. She squeezed the little stuffed creature, trying to summon up a positive outlook.

Irvine turned to help her into the boat then pushed it out into the water, wading out after it to climb in himself. He felt vaguely relieved he had worn his working boots when he felt the water seep into his socks and settled down to take point while Selphie steered the small vessel. Up ahead he could just make out the vague gleam of the wing breaking above the water, the sun shining harshly against the polished surface and making him squint.

Several feet from the crash site Selphie shut off the motor and dropped anchor. Their eyes met across the little boat at the waves rocked beneath them. Irvine turned to scan the area, eyes sweeping the horizon, the curve of the beach at their backs, and the water below them.

Selphie readied one of the portable scuba tanks they'd brought along and shed her uniform, leaving her in a modest black and gold SeeD issued bathing suit. She'd embellished hers by sewing a yellow chocobo patch high on the right hip and Irvine curled his hand around the butt of Exeter to prevent himself from reaching out to touch it.

The small craft shifted beneath them as she sat to slide her dainty feet into black flippers.

"Remember don't stay down there too long."

His voice was slightly strained and he forced a reluctant smile when she lifted her head to look at him. Large green eyes blinked from behind the plastic goggles that were now obscuring half her face.

"I'll be careful Irvy. Besides the visibility is good here. I won't leave your sight!"

She strapped the small air tank to her back and hooked the hose to the side of her mask. Dropping her hand she squeezed his shoulder once before putting the mouthpiece in and drawing one trial breath.

A quick thumbs up and she was falling backwards over the side of the small boat and slipped beneath the waves with a splash. Irvine watched as she scissored her legs behind her and propelled her body towards the looming hulk that had once been Laguna's airship.

Selphie's brown hair floated out behind her as she swam deeper in the clear water. Sparing a glance above she saw the shape of the boat's hull and the outline of a cowboy hat as Irvine undoubtedly watched her every move. Were it not for the breathing apparatus in her mouth it would have made her smile.

Just ahead of her she saw the airship, its silver skin gleaming dully beneath the water. Spots of sunlight that filtered through shifted across the surface as the ocean moved above. Running her fingers across the metal she swam alongside it until she came to one of the engines; a bulky form that would normally have been nestled behind one of the ship's wings. However this one was gone, sheared off at the seam where the thin flaps would have been attached to the main body. Selphie avoided touching near the ragged scar left behind, as the broken metal was twisted and likely to be sharp.

Further examination of the engine revealed nothing physically wrong with it and she grasped the sides of the large turbine, peering in through the rows of dull-edged blades that would rotate when the machine was powered up.

Green eyes narrowed as she spotted a strange object nestled just beyond them.

Irvine nearly had a heart attack when he saw Selphie almost half inside of the submerged engine for the airship.

"What the hell is she doing!?"

Muttering a low curse he could do little other than watch anxiously until she re-emerged. Clasped in one of her small hands was a round metal object. He couldn't make it out from the surface but it appeared about the size of a tennis ball.

Keeping her find tightly held Selphie swam around towards the rear of the ship. She peered down beneath the curve of the hull, hoping to see if any of the escape pods had been deployed. She felt her ankle brush against something that felt like seaweed and ignored it, eyes narrowed as she counted the pods she could still see on the ship.

Selphie kicked her feet again to move forward but her flipper became snagged in something. She yanked her leg forwards, feeling something heavy dragging from her foot. Sand and silt was kicked up from the ground and she turned, waving her hands through the cloud. Her fingertips brushed against something soft and strange feeling and she stared….

As a face emerged from the dissipating cloud, eyes wide open and unseeing, seemingly disembodied as it stared at her, mouth agape in a futile gasp for air, a halo of blonde hair flowing out behind.

Selphie's feet kicked desperately, flippers caught in the water-logged white robes that floated around the corpse like a shroud. She opened her own mouth in a silent scream, bubbles escaping from her mouthpiece. Her arms cut through the water and she made for the surface, the body ascending up slowly behind her like a macabre specter.

"Selphie!"

Irvine's voice snapped her from her panic and she reached for the arms he held out to her over the side of the boat. She clambered up shakily, coughing as she spit seawater from her mouth and tugged off her mask. It fell from her fingertips with the small round object she'd found earlier, the latter rolling across the bottom of the boat with a hollow sound.

Her breathing was ragged and she undid the straps for her air tank with shaky fingers as Irvine maneuvered the body floating in the water to get a better look, a grimace on his face.

"Crewman…" He said softly, shoving the man away from the boat once more with the tip of his rifle. "Looks like he drowned… probably pinned under a piece of wreckage down there and got knocked loose..."

He turned to look at her and all at once she was in his arms, wet and trembling, her face pressed into the curve of his shoulder. He could feel hot tears against his neck and his arms came around her tightly.

"Irvy… what if they're dead. What if they're all dead just like him.?"

oooOOOOOooo

"So they think Cid is suddenly some criminal mastermind? And that he's got you running around committing murders for him? It sounds like a load of shit to me. I can't believe anyone is buying that."

Quistis studied the man sitting in the chair across the room from her. He was working on his forth drink now, still wearing the bathrobe from earlier. Though the storm had calmed some, the rain was still coming down, making a soft pattering noise against the windows. She was feeling comfortably drowsy, and somewhat calm to have someone to talk to, even if it _was _Seifer Almasy. And he wasn't being too much of a jackass, though that might have been because of the booze.

"Of course you can." She turned back to her laptop, pushing her glasses up. "Martine has had it out for Balamb Garden since he was reinstated after the war. He really doesn't like that Edea wasn't charged. Galbadia and most of its towns are uncertain, even though we've got a better relationship with their new President its still not ideal."

He shrugged, looking at her blankly and she sighed, reminded of how many lectures he'd talked through, or slept through.

"Let's just put it this way Seifer… it's not looking good. The evidence all points to Cid. The tribunal has to look at the evidence when they make their decision."

"So what are you guys, what's Garden doing about it?"

He finished the last of his drink and set the empty glass aside, propping his feet up on the chair opposite him that she had earlier vacated to go to her computer.

"We try and prove him innocent. Teams have been sent out to test the evidence and find out how solid it is; since we think it was all manufactured. I came here to clear not only myself, but the Headmaster as well."

Seifer stretched his arms over his head, his gaze sliding over her legs and Quistis had the sudden urge to change into pants. Instead she gazed at him evenly, hiding her discomfort.

"I don't suppose you've heard anything more about the murder?"

"Nothing more than idle gossip. I don't know what you think you'll find here. Didn't you say they cleaned out all the evidence? I mean hell they even took the papers off his body."

Her lips pursed slightly and she frowned, snapping shut her laptop as she stood. She tossed her glasses down to the desk with a yawn and fixed blue eyes on him.

"Maybe you're right but I've got to try."

He nodded and Quistis raised a brow, pointedly yawning again. He watched her with a slightly amused gaze and she frowned, trying for a more direct approach.

"It's late Seifer."

"Really? Cause I can't see the clock right next to me."

He grinned widely at her and she scowled, her hands crossing over her chest.

"I'd like to go to sleep."

"Please go right ahead. You've been talking for hours and my ears could use a rest."

"I'm not going to sleep with you here." She narrowed her eyes.

"What? Are you afraid I'll attack you Trepe? Maybe I'll steal all your money while you're sleeping away?"

She shifted uncomfortably on her feet. "That's not it I just don't want you to watch me sleep is all."

"Do you drool in your sleep or something? Maybe you snore. It's okay Quisty," His voice was mockingly sweet, "I won't tell anyone if you sound like a buzz saw."

"I do not snore." She took his clothes from the bathroom, still damp, and threw them at him. "Get out."

He caught them with one hand and smiled at her as he stood up. Her gaze grew wary as he put the clothing aside first. He shed the robe and Quistis' eyes went huge, her mouth dropping in shock before she slapped her hands over her eyes. His laughter was mocking as her face burned red with mortification.

"Seifer!"

"What? I thought you wanted me to change so I could leave." She could hear the grin in his voice but kept her hands firmly over her eyes.

"I didn't mean for you to change in _front_ of me!"

"Oh come on, I thought you were plying me with booze to get into my pants Trepe."

"I'm not _interested_ in what is or isn't in your pants." She bit out the words coldly.

"I might believe that if you hadn't looked so long."

She let out a groan, pulling her hands from her face to find out with relief that he was clothed this time. Before he could say anything else she stalked towards the door and opened it for him. He smiled and shrugged, taking his time in crossing towards her. He stopped in the doorway and she tilted her head to scowl up at him. She was surprised at what he said next.

"Thanks for the drinks Trepe."

His hand reached up to cup her jaw and Quistis' lips parted slightly as her brow furrowed in confusion. Realization dawned nakedly over her face as she felt his breath mingling with hers the moment before his lips descended upon hers.

The kiss was hot and insistent, and the brush of his teeth against her lower lip broke something wild in her, causing her hands to bunch at his shirt, her body arching away from the door as his hands swept over her. She could taste him on her tongue, and the tang of alcohol that was still fresh on his breath.

Reality came rushing for her with the need for air, and she pulled away from him suddenly, gasping, as if she'd been burned. Eyes wild and cheeks flushed she shoved him into the hallway; where the confused man could do little but stumble backwards as he tried to calm his own racing heartbeat.

"Good night Seifer."

She shut the door firmly in his face, turning the lock before leaning back against it. She heard him let loose a string of curses on the other side, seeming to hesitate before moving away down the hallway.

"Hyne, what the hell was that..?"


	9. Together we are all alone

Disclaimer: Sadly I do not own FFVIII or it's characters

Chapter 8: Together we are all alone

_Oh, the stories we were told _

_  
__Quite a vision to behold _

_  
__Mysteries of the seas in her eyes of gold... _

_  
__Laying on the silver stone, such a lonely sight_

_Loreley- Blackmore's Night_

Quistis scoured over the photos of the crime scene for the third time, carefully searching for any clue, something that looked off. There was no sign of the papers Seifer had mentioned seeing on the man, and there were no clues as to who his real killer was; no footprints, no strand of hair had been left behind. 

The long narrow table that the police precinct in Fisherman's Horizon had graciously offered her use of was scarred and faded with age. The file was spread out around her, photos fanned like a hand of cards off to one side, a cooling cup of sludge that they graciously referred to as coffee sat to her right and when she was distracted enough by the work she'd take another sip and be reminded why she wasn't drinking the crap.

The door to the room was propped open with a thick manual but it was still stuffy in the small room, smelling of sweat, bad coffee and stale cigarettes. The noises of the men and women working just outside reached her ears; phones ringing, the monotonous tapping of computer keys, the low murmur of voices. Quistis could feel the tension in the air, and though the officers had allowed her access to the murder file and offered their help grudgingly, she sensed them watching her warily, distrust rolling through their ranks. 

She'd reread the notes on the case the third time before pushing back from the table, the legs of her chair grinding across the linoleum floor. The case remained open here and there was little way to find more information. The leading officer had noted that the killing was likely a specific target, and because the man was from Esthar that was where more clues would be found. With the technological city only recently opening its borders, with very strict visitor regulations, it was no surprise that this avenue had not been pursued by the local police force. However as a SeeD Quistis certainly had more resources at her disposal. 

Tucking the file neatly back together she stepped from the conference room. The bullpen fell silent as all eyes followed her. She straightened her shoulders and crossed towards the captain's office with purposeful strides. His door was open and an electric fan sat in the corner of the cramped office, blowing pitifully at the humid air. The man behind the desk was big, and had let his muscles soften from time in this office and not on the streets. His dark hair was mussed and bangs curled over his forehead, brushing brows above keen grey eyes, which passed over her with curiosity.

"I told ya you wouldn't find anything in there Ma'am."

He spoke around a fat unlit cigar as Quistis passed him the file, opening it to see that it was all in order.

"It's pretty much guaranteed to go into the Cold Case storage at the end of the month, unless you SeeDs find something that you're willing to share..."

The smile passed over her lips briefly and didn't light her eyes. On the wall beside her she saw a faded photograph of a much younger captain shaking the hand of Mayor Dobe. He looked fit and smiled confidently at the camera, the face of someone who was certain they could make a difference. Quistis found herself wondering if he ever did.

"I'll let you know." She murmured, shaking his hand when he stood.

"Good luck Miss Trepe." 

He tossed the file to the pile of papers on his desk as she turned and made her way from the room, crossing past the others before pushing open the heavy wooden door that concealed the precinct from the outside world. The street she stepped onto was much the same as most of the streets in Fisherman's Horizon and just over the rise of a narrow building she could see the glint of the reflective solar panel that dominated the center of the small island. She let out a long sigh and turned back towards the hotel. Now it looked like Esthar was her only lead.

Why did the thought of going to the advanced city fill her with a sense of trepidation?

oooOOOOooo

Around the table in the makeshift courtroom the various leaders scowled at one another. The room was empty now but for them, and the debate that had arisen had the tension teetering at a peak. Martine was leaning over the table, hands pressed flat on the surface. Trabia's Headmaster was glancing nervously between him and Squall, though the young Commander seemed non-plussed, gazing expressionlessly at the irate man.

"Look, I have no desire to see Cid Kramer in jail either, but the truth of the matter is, Commander Leonhart... that you are not an impartial party to this matter. We can't have you on this tribunal."

Fabine, the representative from the Dukedom of Dollet let out a sigh, "Martine you can hardly say anyone on this tribunal is impartial." The imputative man with curled blonde hair waved a dismissive hand. "I'm sure the Commander knows he has to consider all the evidence presented."

Eyes slid to Squall who merely nodded in agreement, the irritation he was feeling hidden from his face.

"I hardly think that's satisfactory." Galbadia's President Adrienne Merchant spoke, shifting in her seat. "Commander Leonhart was raised by the accused, along with many other high-ranking SeeDs present at Balamb Garden. It is no secret they are formulating his defense. If the Commander is trying to prove the man innocent how can we trust he will convict him should he be guilty?"

There were murmurs of agreement around the table that had Squall sitting straighter in his seat, feeling uneasy. 

"As the commander of Balamb Garden I have to exercise impartiality on a regular basis. I wouldn't be effective at my job if I let my emotions rule me."

President Merchant let out a low chuckle. "No one is accusing you of being emotional Commander. It is your intense sense of loyalty that is the problem. In a soldier this is an infallible trait… but here your loyalties to the Garden and Headmaster are pitted against the welfare of other cities and countries. We are fairly certain which side of the line you stand across."

Squall's gaze was piercing on the woman, blue meeting gold, and she smiled at him as he spoke, tucking a strand of auburn behind one ear.

"You speak of it as if we are already on opposing sides, which leads me to believe the rest of this tribunal has already decided that the Headmaster is guilty." 

His eyes swept across the table, studying each of the gathered figures there with a piercing gaze. A couple of the representatives shifted uneasily beneath his stare, their eyes drifting guiltily away and Squall locked his jaw, pushing back from the table. 

"If that is how you all feel, then I'm calling this meeting to an end. Cid Kramer cannot be convicted without a fair trial. If you're not willing to allow him that I ask that you all leave by the morning."

His footsteps sounded against the stone floor as he strode away, Lionheart glinting against his thigh.

oooOOOOooo

The heat was oppressive by the time Quistis returned to the hotel. The afternoon sun was blazing in the sky and glinting sharply off the ocean, reflecting off the immense sun panel in a way that seemed to double the power of the sun's intensity. She could feel the sweat gathering at the back of her hairline and sliding down her neck where the heat immediately dried it, leaving a sticky salt residue behind. She felt weary and gross and once inside the hotel room made a beeline to the shower. 

Her clothing was dumped on the floor with the hesitance of someone who is tidy by nature. As Quistis stepped in under the spray of water she closed her eyes and thought back on her day. After the precinct she'd made her way to the scene of the crime and scoured the alley, finding nothing more than some disturbingly large rats and the fact that the garbage hadn't been picked up in a couple of weeks. 

She rubbed her hands over her scalp, working the shampoo into her long hair. The scent of honey and fragrant herbs drifted into the heady air of the small bathroom. Quistis studied the pattern of tiles in varying shades of blue, letting her mind wander as the water pounded against her back, sluicing over the blades over her shoulders before circling down the drain.

It was going cool before she stepped out, her fingertips and feet slightly wrinkled as she stepped out onto the thin, towel-like bath mat. Drying and bundling into a robe she made her way to the bedroom, a cloud of steam billowing out behind her into the air-conditioned room. She dragged a comb through her hair as she dug her portable comm. device from her bag and scanned through the list for her entry for Balamb Garden. It was ringing when she tucked the device against her ear to clip up her damp hair. 

Quistis caught a whiff of an unfamiliar scent as the recording began to play in her ear, "You have reached Balamb Garden, please hold as your call is important to us." 

Music sounded through the tinny speaker of the communicator and Quistis sniffed slightly as she dialed the extension to Squall's private line. The faint smell of rainwater clung to the fluffy collar of the robe, and a hint of masculine aftershave. She buried her nose against the fabric, the ringing of the comm. device forgotten for the moment as she drew in the scent that was strangely familiar.

_Seifer…_ The revelation burst into her mind at the same time the line finally picked up, the perky female voice speaking loudly in her ear.

"Balamb Garden, Commander's office."

Quistis blinked, recognizing it as Squall's secretary and frowned, fingering the collar of the robe.

"This is SeeD Class A Trepe. I need to speak with the Commander, please."

"I'm sorry Miss Trepe, but he's currently unavailable. I've been told you transfer you to Xu if you called. Please hold."

Quistis opened her mouth but the sound of classical music filled the receiver as she was put on hold. It wasn't long before it was ringing again and after two the line was picked up and Xu's familiar voice came through.

"Quistis? We thought you'd check in soon. Have you found anything?"

Not one to beat around the bush, the other woman had wasted no time on pleasantries. 

"Nothing. All I found is that I really need to go to Esthar to find out more."

"Well then you should go. We're not having any luck here. Squall's on with Irvine now and apparently he and Selphie discovered a body at the crash site…"

There was a gasp from the other end of the phone that had Xu shaking her head, despite her friend's inability to see her. 

"It was just a crewman… still it seems likely that if there's one body there's more. So we're sending out a dive crew to help take care of that, and we've been trying to contact Esthar with no luck." She let out a heavy sigh, dragging a hand through her dark hair. "Zell and his team are over in Timber following up on something that seemed promising, but they've run into a lot of red tape. And to top it off, the tribunal is giving the Commander a hard time, trying to get him kicked off. Say he's not impartial to Cid's trial."

"That's hardly fair. None of them are. He wouldn't let that interfere with his decision." 

Quistis stood and crossed towards the closed balcony doors, watching the activity on the pier along the shore. A fishing ship had just docked and men were crowded around unloading it; hauling in boxes of fresh catch. 

"We know that, but they don't believe it. You know how certain members of that committee don't trust him or anyone from Balamb Garden for that matter. You have to find something Quistis, and right now I'm not sure it's so safe here anyway. You're probably better off staying away."

The young blonde clenched her teeth together, turning away from the window. Her first thought was to run back home, to be there with Squall and Xu dealing with the other leaders, to feel like she was doing something more. 

"If I can make a difference here, then I will. But I can't go to Esthar alone Xu. It's a long trip, and the salt flats are crawling with monsters. I don't have a ship."

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Look… maybe I can get Selphie to swing by for you with the Ragnarok… but as far as getting more help, we can't spare anyone. You're going to have to do this on your own."

"I'm good Xu, but not that good." Quistis' voice was measured, but there was faint irritation threading through it. "I need backup. You can't even get a hold of Esthar. What if it's unfriendly territory?"

Xu knew her friend was right, and she tapped her manicured nails against the desktop, trying to figure out some way that they could get her some help.

"Hire someone." She finally spoke. "We'll cover it, okay? There's some freelance mercenaries out there, the loners… you know? The ones that are good with a weapon but not team players? Hire one."

"Oh yeah, me with a non-team player… there's a match made in heaven…" 

"Don't get your panties in a twist. There's no other choice. I know you like to play it by the book, but we have to make exceptions. Just find someone. I'll have Selphie come by in two days to pick you up at the port."

"Wait a minute Xu…."

There were male voices in the background as her friend cut her off. "I'm really sorry Quis, but I have to go. Two days, this time. Be careful. Xu out."

Quistis blinked at her communicator as the light blinked out and the transmission cut off. With a muttered curse she tossed it on the bed, cringing slightly when it bounced, and let out a sigh of relief when it landed, unharmed, atop the pillow. She picked it up again and glanced out into the sun-streaked ocean horizon. 

Now to hire a mercenary… She glanced down at the robe and raised her brows in consideration. 

Well… why the hell not?


	10. Proposal of alliance

Author's Notes: Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews! I took some of the suggestions to mind and hope that this is reflected in my latest chapter. I think one day I'll have to retool the whole thing and edit it but let's just get it done for now:D

Disclaimer: I don't own, SquareEnix does.

Chapter 9: Proposal of alliance

"_She lays down on the fresh lawn_

_  
She can make everything magical_

_  
But she tied one on big time_

_  
And it makes me wanna rewind_

_  
To back in the days when we were young_

_When everything was like a loaded gun"_

_Psycho – Puddle of Mudd_

The sound of pounding on the door was multiplied by the pounding in his head and Seifer dragged his eyes open with a low moan. They felt gritty with too little sleep, and the sunlight seeping in through the cracks above his bed seemed overly bright, causing him to throw his arm across them as he kicked away the covers. Sitting up was another chore, but the thudding knock at the door was insistent and he wondered blearily if his rent was due.

He nearly tripped over one of the scattered bottles on his way to the door, and sent the glass rolling across the room, leaving behind a pain in his bare toes that had him cursing under his breath. He passed a hand over his face, blinking to try and recall the night before. He remembered leaving the hotel... frustration coursing through his veins, and he clearly remembered emptying his liquor cabinet, the knowledge that getting drunk off his ass would remove all feelings of lust from his rebellious body.

Shit. It looked like he'd been successful. Now all he felt was pain; from the monstrous headache to the nausea building in his empty stomach. He staggered against the doorjamb and yanked open the door, prepared to take out his ire on his unwitting visitor. The insult died on his lips as he stared down at Quistis Trepe.

"What the fuck are _you_ doing here?" He scowled at her, squinting as her hair shone golden in the morning sun.

Her eyes passed over him, distaste flickering through them before she let out a resigned sigh. He was still wearing the clothes from the night he'd come to her hotel room, and they were horribly wrinkled. He hadn't shaved, and the stubble across his chin was a slightly dark blonde. His eyes looked bloodshot and his hair was sticking up in a way that might have been cute if he didn't look so dour and... as if he had a really horrible hangover.

Pressing her hand against the firm wall of his chest she shoved him backwards so she could walk into the apartment, grimacing at the mess it was. He watched her with a look that was part confusion, but mostly annoyance.

"Look, I don't know why you're here Trepe. After you tossed me out last night you--"

Her eyebrow winged up and she crossed her arms over her chest.

"That was the night before last Seifer. I see you've been in a drunken stupor. If I'd known that I might have waited the extra day for you to cool off before coming by."

He blinked at her dumbly, closing his eyes. Hyne, he'd passed out for a whole day. That was bad. Quistis moved past him to pick up the bottles and glanced at the labels before lining them neatly atop the counter. 

"With all it seems that you consumed... I'm not surprised." Her eyes moved over him again and she wrinkled her nose. "Look, get a shower and painkillers, change clothes. I'll take you to breakfast, and then we can talk about what I came here for."

He looked at her in surprise, standing there with her back to the still-open door. The sun behind her lit her golden hair like a halo. She wore a conservative knee-length skirt and a pale pink tank top. She looked like summer and smelled like a garden, and she was standing in his apartment, looking at him expectantly with those blue eyes. Grumbling he turned away and made his way back towards the bathroom.

oooOOOOooo

Standing in the doorway to the bedroom Rinoa watched Squall sleep. He had returned to their room way beyond midnight that night, waking her when he climbed into bed. She'd slipped sleepily into his arms and been startled when he tightened his hold on her, pressing his face to her hair. She'd said nothing and he'd fallen into a restless sleep. Now finally he had been still for a while, and his rest seemed dreamless. 

Across the room the clock glowed 8:00 and she moved reluctantly wake him, knowing he had another busy day ahead of him and he'd already slept later than usual. Her hand was gently insistent against his shoulder and when he opened his eyes, squinting up at her from beneath his bangs, she moved to draw the blinds, letting the brilliant morning sunlight illuminate the room.

He lie still for a moment, watching the way the rays of sunlight glinted off the blonde highlights in her bangs, and the light shone through the thin material of her white nightgown. He smiled before his gaze drifted to the clock and with a sigh he was pushing himself out of the bed, rubbing a hand through his sleep-tousled hair. 

"Why didn't you wake me earlier? I have a meeting at nine."

She crossed towards the door that lead to the sitting room and small kitchenette of the Commander's quarters, turning to look at him as she paused there.

"You were back so late last night. I figured you needed the sleep."

She could hear the shower starting up and he'd already removed the t-shirt he'd slept in, leaving him only in a pair of grey shorts.

"It's bad Rin. Irvine and Selphie have already found the bodies of two of the crewmen on Laguna's ship and... they don't think any escape pods were launched."

Her hand went to her throat as horror filled her eyes. 

"Squall I'm so..."

He shook his head, looking away from her. "I know. I can't talk about this now."

She watched him turn and disappear fully into the bathroom and stood there a moment, emotions rolling through her. Sometimes it struck her how she, with her abundance of emotions and penchant for expressing everything she felt so openly, could have ended up with someone like Squall. 

Rinoa sighed, moving to the kitchenette to start coffee and glanced down at Angelo, who was already working on her breakfast. Despite Squall's dismissal she knew he was hurting right now, and worried. He just didn't have time to let that affect him. 

She was cracking the eggs in a skillet when he emerged from the bedroom, dressed in his usual outfit. She couldn't understand how he could wear black in such hot weather, even with the Garden's efficient air conditioning. He'd forgone the jacket at least, and as he moved to pour himself a cup of coffee she could see that his hair was still damp.

As Squall sat she put the eggs onto a plate along with some toast and sausages. He slumped in his chair, and Rinoa could see that he was still exhausted. He drank the coffee black and ate the food she placed in front of him, saying nothing as she watched him worriedly.

Instead of speaking she moved up behind him and leaned in, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and resting her chin atop his head. Squall stilled, used to these sorts of gestures from the dark-haired sorceress. He put down his silverware and lifted his hands to rest over her arms, rubbing lightly along the soft pale skin as he let out a long sigh.

"I feel so helpless." He confessed, squeezing her biceps once before dropping his hands. "Cid's trial is going to hell, we can't seem to find anything that says he's innocent, Laguna's ship went down and everyone onboard is probably dead."

Her arms tightened around him and she rubbed her cheek against the soft strands of his hair, blinking back tears.

"And Esthar won't answer our messages. We don't know if it's because they're panicked over what happened to their leader, of if something's gone wrong there."

Rinoa moved around to sit beside him, drawing her chair close so that her knees were pressed against his thigh. 

"Squall... its okay to be upset about what happened to your Father..."

His eyes hardened and he picked up his fork.

"I hardly knew the man Rinoa. Just because he happened to be my biological parent doesn't mean..."

She held up a hand, cutting him off.

"I know you didn't know him Squall. And I think that's what bothers you the most."

oooOOOOooo

"You want me to _what_?"

For a moment Quistis thought Seifer might spit his breakfast on her face, but he swallowed the eggs and gave her an incredulous look across the table. The people behind them had stopped speaking and she could feel inquisitive eyes on the back of her head. Silently she straightened her napkin, meeting his gaze. She took a sip of her coffee and soon the other couple had returned to their own conversation. She rested her elbows on either side of her plate, keeping her voice low and she leaned towards him.

"I want you to come with me to Esthar." She repeated her earlier request, though it wasn't voiced as a question.

"Don't you think it's a bit early for us to be going on a romantic getaway together Trepe?"

She sighed, her breath teasing the strands of blonde that fell in front of her face and she reached up a hand to push them back behind her ears.

"I have to go there to continue my investigation. We don't know the situation there right now... and I need someone to watch my back. With the trial against Cid every spare SeeD is out working on something, and we'd already had quite a few contracts set up."

"So basically you're saying that I'm your only choice." He scowled at her, not sure why that bothered him.

"No actually you're not." She sat back against the vinyl seat to take another sip of her coffee. "I was given the okay to hire someone, a freelance mercenary. I'll pay you of course. I'd rather work with you than someone I don't know for a couple of reasons; the first being that though you certainly weren't one to follow rules when you were at Garden you are at least aware of them..." She cocked a brow, hoping he hadn't tuned out _everything_ she'd said in her classes and continued, "I won't have to explain things to you, and the second being we've worked together before. In battle I find that to be of key importance. I wouldn't trust some hired gun that plays without any rules."

"Yet you're trusting me?" He looked at her in mild disbelief. "You know I was never good with rules."

She shrugged her shoulders, "I trust you enough Seifer. You wouldn't do something that would get me killed."

He frowned at her, setting his fork on the empty plate. "I wouldn't be so sure of that."

Quistis smiled at him, taking the bill when the waitress returned to clear their plates. "Amazingly enough, I actually am sure of it." She stood, handing him a fat white envelope. "Meet me this afternoon at the pier by four o'clock with everything you'll need for the trip, including some changes of clothes and your weapon."

He stood as well. "I don't remember agreeing..."

"I'll bring extra magic for you." She offered him a wave and turned, making her way out of the small cafe.

He stared after her and looked down at the envelope in his hands. He opened it to see bills, a good chunk of gil, all neatly aligned. He stuffed it into his pocket and turned to stalk out of the establishment


	11. Hints of Betrayal

Disclaimer: I still do not own FFVIII and it's characters, though it would be really nice to.

Author's Note: Just to let you guys know, it should not take me more than a week to post updates of each chapter, unless something comes up so please stay tuned   
Also thank you for all the wonderful reviews. I'm so happy my story is being enjoyed!

Somewhat of a filler chapter I guess… No worries action is coming up soon! Of all kinds I promise ;)

Chapter 10: Hints of a betrayal

"_I watch the heavens but I find no calling_

_  
Something I can do to change what's coming_

_  
Stay close to me while the sky is falling_

_  
Don't wanna be left alone, don't wanna be alone"_

_World on Fire – Sarah Mclachlan_

As he approached the pier at a quarter after four, Seifer wondered for about the hundredth time why he didn't just keep the money and split. He certainly didn't owe anything to Quistis Trepe, and a mission with her was bound to be nothing but a headache.

Still, here he was. But he'd decided to show up late, just to spite her. And if was lucky she might already be gone and he wouldn't feel guilty about keeping the cash. Not that he would have anyway...

Shouldering his ancient duffle bag he narrowed his eyes against the glare of the high afternoon sun and scanned the area. It was crowded, people heading home from their jobs, fishermen offloading their cargo from a day spent out at sea. The fresh market was in full swing with people buying for their evening meal. Nestled in between the fish stands was a little cart where samples of the latest catch were cooked and immediately served.

He caught sight of a familiar blonde head bent over to speak with the aged man working the portable grill. She was clothed in a peach outfit that he easily recognized, despite the fact that she'd worn simple flats in place of the high leather boots, and removed the gloves; a concession to the strong heat that still hung in the air.

Quistis turned, a piece of grilled squid poised at her mouth as their eyes met across the crowded area. Dropping her utensils, food and all, into the small carton in her other hand she wound her way through the throng of people to his side, smiling up at him.

"Good you're here."

"Yeah, I guess I am." He glanced around. "How the hell are we getting to Esthar anyway?"

"Our transportation won't be here till five. I knew you'd be late so I told you four."

He scowled at her, annoyed that he was so predictable and crossed his arms over his broad chest.

"What are we supposed to do in the mean time?"

They made their way to a bench near the end of the pier and she sat, taking another bite of her seafood. He set his bag down beside her, but remained standing, dipping his hands into the pockets of his pants. His profile was turned towards the sun, which had slipped lower in the sky to hover over the sea like golden idol.

"If I'd known we would just be sitting around I'd have been even later."

"Sit down..." She reached over to move his bag to sit at her feet beside her own, "I'll tell you about Esthar, and then we can use the trip to get you junctioned and stocked with magic."

He cast her a look, but sat, sprawling out across the bench next to her. One arm fell over the back of the bench behind her and he reached over, snatching the carton of food from her hands. She frowned and he smiled lazily, fishing the chopsticks out to position experimentally between his fingers.

"Well go on Trepe..." He dug up a tiny octopus and Quistis gazed at her former meal for a moment before sitting back against the bench resignedly.

"Esthar is a very technologically advanced city to the north on the Eastern continent. It's surrounded on all sides by salt flats, which are virtually crawling with monsters. That's why we have to fly there."

He opened his mouth, a bunch of noodles dangling from the edge of his utensils. "How do we plan to fly there...?"

"In Ragnarok. It's an Estharian Air Ship... Balamb Garden was granted ownership of it about a year ago..." She glanced out to the distance, rubbing her fingers over the hem of her skirt. "Esthar is ruled by a President, much like Galbadia... but there is also a counsel of advisors that make most of the decisions. The people there have a strong distrust of outsiders and don't really like visitors all that much, so they don't let many people within the city's borders."

"Then why the hell would they let us in?"

"There's an exception for SeeDs in most cases, and well we... that is myself and others from Garden know the President so we have been granted leave to come whenever we like. I hope that still stands even though he's missing..."

He frowned, scraping the last remnants of noodles and sauce from the bottom of the carton. "You mentioned that earlier. How do you even _know_ the president of some isolated country?"

"It's a long story. Laguna turned up to help us when we were looking for Ellone. Turns out he's also Squall's father."

Seifer raised a brow at her, tossing the empty food container into the trash bin beside the bench. "Puberty boy's Dad is still alive? What the hell was he doing in an orphanage then?"

"I don't know. I assume that Laguna wasn't aware of him until after his mother had died… and then was unaware how to locate him. But I don't really think that's our concern… We've been in contact with him since the time he helped us, and so we've made progress in outside relations with Esthar. Now of course this happens…"

A silence fell over them that felt strangely heavy. It was obvious to Seifer just when Quistis and the others had met this man, this President. It brought up memories of things he'd rather forget; childhood dreams warped and the reality had been the biggest fuck up of his life. He drew a hand over his face, willing away the image of familiar golden eyes smiling darkly at him.

"Tell me more about Esthar." His voice was rough, and there was something akin to desperation in his eyes.

"Right… well it's technologically advanced, as I said before, and the city is known for its skyscrapers and raised roads. It's many tiered actually so that the whole city itself is in different levels. The people there look the same as anywhere else, though their sense of fashion leaves little to be desired…"

Seifer merely looked at her blankly, as if fashion wasn't something he really thought about, and it likely wasn't. With a shrug she crossed her legs at the ankles and watched the people walking by.

"The man who was killed here was a scientist at Odine Labs in Esthar. Dr. Odine is an eccentric man with a great deal of knowledge. He was the one who created the machine that trapped the Sorceress Adel. Despite that, he doesn't have any qualms with playing one side against the other. He used to work for the Sorceress when she was in control of the city."

"So you think this doctor could have something to do with that scientist's death?"

"I don't know. It's what I hope to find out by going there. No one ever seemed to think the man was dangerous. But if our former informant used to work for him, it's a high possibility that whatever he was working on was the reason he was killed. He came to talk to us about Odine Labs, and about Esthar."

"So basically we could be walking into one giant trap."

"Well yes, it's possible."

While the knowledge should have unnerved him, in reality Seifer was pumped at the thought. He hadn't seen any action like this in a while, and the possibility of a real fight had him remembering the thrill that battle brought. He was stirred from his thoughts by an overly cheery voice that had him wincing.

"Quisty!"

He looked up to see a petite brunette in a bright yellow dress, her distinctive flipped hairdo bouncing as she darted through the crowds towards them. Her green eyes went wide, seeming to engulf her face as she skidded to a stop before them.

"What's _he_ doing here?" Her voice was high and laced with accusation as she jabbed one finger in his direction.

He looked at her mildly, and didn't move from his position on the bench, his arm stretched out comfortably behind the blonde at his side. Quistis was leaning forward to gather their things, and dropped his pack in his lap without ceremony.

"He's coming with me to Esthar. Where did you land? I didn't even see the Ragnarok coming in."

Selphie's lips were twisted into a half-frown half-scowl and she put her hands on her hips, before looking towards her friend.

"Squall shouldn't have told you to meet us here. There's nowhere to land! I had to drop down on the other side of the town, in that old field." Her nose crinkled up in disgust. "Why are you bringing _him_? Do you really think that's wise?"

Quistis stood and blinked at the smaller woman. "Selphie I think it's the best option I have. We'd better get moving."

There was a short moment of hesitation before the brunette gave a sharp nod and began to lead the two of them down the street.

"Irvy is waiting back at the ship, but we have to get back to the dive site as soon as possible, so I'm going to put her into overdrive." She smiled brightly, her earlier annoyance apparently forgotten. "The dive team arrived this morning to give us a hand and we've started cleaning things up a bit."

"Have you found any sign of the other people on board?"

Quistis glanced down at her companion. Seifer at her other arm, glanced around as they walked, apparently uninterested in their conversation, though she was aware he paid attention to everything being said.

"No…" Selphie's face fell. "We think that it's likely the tide carried the bodies away from the wreckage. It was pretty stormy out there around the time they crashed. And we never found any escape pods."

Quistis rested a gentle hand on her shoulder. "It's possible they were able to swim to shore and try and make their way back to Esthar. Maybe once we get there we'll learn something more."

"Yeah." The other woman's smile was forced and didn't light her eyes. "Maybe you're right."

oooOOOOooo

The three Garden leaders sat around the oversized desk in Squall's office. Outside the sun was sinking over the horizon, casting lengthening shadows across the carpet. Randolf seemed relaxed, sprawled in his chair with his arms folded behind his head, his feet stretched out before him. He was a lanky man with dark brown hair that was kept just long enough to seem shaggy, and a trim goatee that softened his angular face somewhat. Beside him Martine sat, military straight in his own seat. He seemed the exact opposite of the Trabian Headmaster with his close-cut hair and his trim SeeD uniform.

Squall eyed them both with his closed stare, and then unfolded his arms from across his chest to place them evenly apart on the edge of his desk.

"Are you gentlemen going to let me know what this is all about?"

Randolf sat up a little straighter, leaning forward with his elbows against his thighs. "What else would it be about Commander?"

The young SeeD's eyebrow twitched imperceptibly and he said nothing, waiting for his question to be answered. It was Martine who finally spoke, pushing himself to his feet to pace the room like a caged Torama.

"It's about the trial. Or rather, related to it." He paused and the others were silent, allowing him to elaborate. "We know that something is going on, Commander Leonhart. Frankly neither one of us believes Cid Kramer to be capable of most of the things he's been accused of."

Squall narrowed his eyes, but said nothing, and the silence hung heavily above the other occupants of a room that seemed increasingly smaller. Randolf leaned back in his chair again and Martine turned his back to them, marching towards the window to gaze down at Garden's grounds. The lights had come on now, casting pools of white light in regular intervals.

"It's not just Cid either... something big is happening. You may have noticed a sudden influx in students this year, insignificant children upon appearance, but most of them have no recorded backgrounds. It's not strange for the Gardens to take in orphans... but even after the last battle, there shouldn't be quite so many."

The Galbadian Headmaster turned back towards the other men, his hands held behind him. "In addition, the new President is making some bold moves. She's taken away most of my military control and run the troops herself. Now I didn't think it so strange, until I did some looking around and found out most of their activities were now classified. I don't know what she's doing with them. You see Commander, there are eyes everywhere. They've infiltrated our organizations, and they've thrown Balamb Garden into a state of chaos with this trial. It may look calm, but just consider... how protected are you with all of your best SeeDs out in the field?"

Randolf stood as well. "Martine came to me with this crazy conspiracy theory too, and I wasn't much of a believer. After all, nothing significant has happened in Trabia. But as we're so far removed from any of the other countries and both other Gardens, he assumes we're not much of a threat."

Squall said nothing, processing all of this. "What was it that convinced you then Headmaster Randolf?"

"I haven't quite been convinced yet, to be frank. But I think in light of the recent occurrences it's best to err on the side of caution. Without proof we certainly can't accuse President Merchant. However I think it would be best for you to recall some of your SeeDs, a few at a time, so it's not so suspicious. But you don't want to leave Balamb Garden undefended in case something _does_ happen."

The young Commander stood, dragging a hand through his hair thoughtfully. "I'll take your advice gentlemen. For now I've postponed the trial until we can arrange a better defense for Headmaster Kramer. He and is wife have been sent away from the Garden until things cool down a bit. I'm keeping the location secret to be safe. I suggest for now you both return to your own posts. We'll keep in contact through classified channels only."


	12. Here in this strange place

Disclaimer: SquareEnix Owns

Disclaimer: SquareEnix Owns

Author's Note: Thanks for the lovely reviews guys. I'm trying to keep up my pace with this fic. Pretty pleased with this chapter. We're just starting to find some things out and we should start to see a little action soon, so stick with me!

Chapter 11: Here in this strange place

_She's beautiful as usual with bruises on her ego and_

_  
The killer instinct tells her to be aware of evil men._

_  
And that's what you get for falling again;_

_  
You can never get him out of your head._

_Pretty Girl – Sugarcult_

Seifer was just junctioning the last of the magic Quistis has given him when he felt the Ragnarok begin a slow descent. Thankfully his former instructor had remembered his fondness for fire spells, but she'd also stocked him with a fair amount of support magic. Quistis stirred beside him and though she been mostly silent on the journey he doubted she'd been asleep.

"I have one more thing for you."

She was rifling through her bags and he watched, catching a glimpse of a whip coiled atop her neatly folded SeeD uniform.

"I don't have room for anymore spells…"

She ignored him, pushing aside a pair of socks.

"I was debating on even giving this to you… but it could be dangerous from here on out and you should have access to every available defense. Plus, I just have this extra one sitting around."

"Trepe, what the fuck are you talking about?"

Static crackled a moment before Selphie's voice filled the ship. Unsurprisingly the loud speaker managed to make it even more irritating than normal and Seifer found himself scanning for the source. One well-placed shot with his gunblade…

"Cleared for descent through the security screen. Please stay in your seats with your seat belts fastened until we've come to a complete stop! Thank you for flying with us!"

"Sugar I don't think you need to say that…"

Irvine's muttered comment came through, sounding mildly amused.

"I know but its fun!"

Luckily for Seifer's sanity the speakers clicked off before he was tempted to make his way to the front of the ship and strangle the perky brunette. He was shaken from his murderous thoughts by Quistis' hand on his arm, the overly warm feeling of magic flowing from her skin to his.

"What are you…?"

A strangely invasive presence crowded into his mind, all snarls and fire and he realized she had transferred a GF to him. He'd used them before of course, as many in Balamb Garden had, but it was still difficult to get used to sharing your brain with another being. Ifrit, as the presence made itself known as, seemed equally unnerved by his new host, but settled deep within the recesses of Seifer's mind, falling silent until all the man was left with was a slight tickling sensation in the base of his skull.

Quistis studied him from behind her glasses. "It's been a while since you've had one of those in your head huh? Takes some getting used to again."

The ship lurched to a stop and they heard the clank of the docking clamps snapping into place. Together they made their way towards the front of the ship, where Selphie was flipping switches with a look of professional ease. Irvine glanced up from the co-pilots seat and pushed his hat away from his brow slightly to shoot Seifer a measuring glance. He received a sneer in return and smiled easily.

"Esthar control said they'd send someone over to escort ya to the Palace. Selph and I are going to head into town for some supplies while they refuel us, then we'll be headed out again."

Quistis nodded, double checking the contents of her bag. She'd hooked Save the Queen at her hip and felt better for it. She bid her goodbyes before Selphie was finished with the shut down procedure so she could escape without being victim to one of the girl's over-enthusiastic hugs. She looked too small to be so strong.

Seifer followed her towards the rear of the ship where the ramp was lowering to reveal a city gleaming with metal and glass. The booted footsteps behind him had him glancing over his shoulder to meet an intense gaze of blue from the lanky cowboy.

"You watch after her."

They were met by a pair of guards just outside the ship, both clothed in their white and violet bodysuits and carrying guns.

They said nothing, only made an about-face and lead the way, leaving Quistis and Seifer to follow, quickening their pace to catch up. Seifer took this time to look around, noting the towering buildings of turquoise glass that seemed to spear up from the very depths of the world. The walkways appeared glassy as well, though the sound of his boots echoing across the material told him differently. Still, it was slightly unnerving to have only the thin clear barrier between him and a surely deadly drop.

They were guided to a circular lift with a low seat in the center of it and the guards ushered them onto it. A short ride had them stepping into the spacious entry hall of an elaborate building. The ceilings were high and colored banners displaying what he assumed to be the symbol of Esthar hung in rows punctuated by tall windows. The guards lead them to the end of the hall, where a man clothed in green and white robes stood waiting.

He was old, and slightly bent beneath the heavy drape of his garments. The collar was high and obscured his mouth but Seifer could just see the curled ends of a perfectly groomed mustache peeking out over the fabric.

"This way please."

The guards dropped behind to follow as the old man showed the two down another narrower hall. Around them there was the quiet murmur of people going about their work. All the people seemed to be clothed in those same elaborate robes, aside from the guards, and he wondered if that's what all the people of Esthar wore or simply the dress code for working in the Presidential Palace.

Finally they came to a set of doors with a guard posted at either side. They slid open before the old man and he motioned for them to go in. The soldiers who had been following remained outside and he saw some of the tension leave Quistis' shoulders.

The room they were now in was round, also with a high ceiling, and the far wall was made only of rows of windows, allowing a clear view of the entire city. Just a few steps in front of them was an elegantly curved handrail that separated them from the rest of the room which was raised up. The old man ascended the two shallow steps with an ease uncanny for his advanced age and made his way towards the figure that stood with their back to them, looking out at Esthar. He leaned close to murmur something and the figure at the windows turned to face them.

Quistis' eyes widened in shock as the man smiled brightly and stepped towards them. He was shorter than Seifer, but no pipsqueak like Zell, and had long black hair that was pulled back at the nape. Unlike the other robed figures in the palace he wore black pants and a blue button down shirt. There was something eerily familiar about his face but Seifer couldn't place it, until his companion spoke.

"Laguna? I mean... President Liore? We thought you were..."

He smiled slightly. "Nearly, but I managed to get to shore after the crash."

"How did you make it back here so quickly? Where are the others?"

Laguna turned away, his face falling. "They didn't make it. Just me... Just me." He perked up again then, turning back to smile at them. "But I'm glad you came to visit. We don't get you SeeDs here often enough."

Neither of them said anything about Seifer not actually being a SeeD, but Quistis was slightly surprised Laguna didn't recognize him.

"Actually Mr. President... I came here on an investigation, about a scientist from Odine Labs."

"Oh... that." He chuckled and it sounded slightly forced. "What does that have to do with us? That happened in Fisherman's Horizon. I mean, it's a shame and all..."

"There were signs that whoever killed him did so for a personal reason. It is likely the crime leads back to here."

"That's impossible. Esthar's citizens are peaceful people."

"Yeah right." Seifer scoffed and Quistis shot him a glare. "Oh come off it Trepe. We know they were at war with Galbadia for years, they have soldiers with what I assume are real weapons. You don't have that kind of security for no reason."

Laguna stiffened, eyes narrowing on the blonde man before him. "That's for protection purposes only."

"You don't train an army unless you expect to have to fight, _Mr. President_ so either your army is just for looks, or you do have some citizens who aren't as peaceful as you'd like to pretend."

He would have said more, but the sharp pain of Trepe's heel digging into his foot forced his silence.

"President Liore, please forgive my companion... He's not properly house trained yet."

Seifer sneered at the back of her head, but she laid a restraining hand on his arm, and the touch was surprisingly gentle.

"All I ask is that we be allowed to look around. We'll cooperate with you, and we won't do anything to cause a bad name for your city. But the Headmaster has been accused of this crime, and I need to clear his name."

Laguna seemed hesitant, and then shrugged. "You can look around, but you won't find anything."

There was a long silence, and then he blinked at them, as if realizing they were still there.

"Oh yes... the usual rooms were prepared when I heard SeeD was coming. The guards will take you there."

Without another word he turned away, going back to the large window. As the elderly man motioned them towards the door, Quistis glanced back over her shoulder, sparing one last glance to the figure silhouetted against the evening sky.

As the door slid shut behind them, Laguna eased away from the window, the shadows falling over his face, from which pale violet eyes shown. A sinister smile spread across his visage, so out of place on the familiar countenance as he turned, motioning for the elderly servant.

"Let them look around, but make sure they don't find out anything of importance. And contact Doctor Odine. We need to speed things up."

oooOOOOooo

The guards had taken them to a pair of rooms in the East Wing of the palace. They were adjoined by a large bath, and this information had Quistis working out shower rotations in her head. There was no way she wanted to walk in on Seifer in some state of undress if she could help it. The man had no shame. Not that he had anything to be ashamed of….

Pushing away that train of thought she dropped her bag on top of the large bed. The comforter was a rich purple and it was piled high with far too many pillows to be practical.

She could hear Seifer in the other room, opening up drawers and cupboards. She idly hoped he didn't break anything expensive, and smiled slightly to herself. It almost seemed like she was worrying about a child.

Quistis was bent over the computer terminal built into the wall when he walked into the room, his boots clearly discarded back in his own room. She noted with some distaste that his left sock had a hole from which his little toe was poking out. She stuck her SeeD ID card into the slot on the front of the terminal as he looked around the room, passing Hyperion from hand to hand.

"This place is pretty damn fancy isn't it?"

"Well it _is_ the Presidential Palace Seifer… Wouldn't you expect it to be "fancy"?"

"I guess so. But I looked outside, and it's like this whole fucking city is made of glass. Is everyone here rich?"

She sighed, standing to look at him. "Esthar does very well. They make their money exporting their technology and the doctor's inventions."

"Something was weird about that President guy."

He picked up a little glass paperweight off the top of the dresser, turning it around in his hands as if trying to discover what it was supposed to be.

"You know," She crossed towards him, taking the blown glass from him and putting it back where it belonged. "I think you're right about that. He certainly wasn't himself. Though it could have been due to the fact that his closest friends died in that crash."

He shrugged noncommittally. "Yeah sure. So when do we get some action?"

"Tomorrow we'll go over to Odine Labs and see what we can find out. Right now I'm running a search on our dearly departed scientist to find out where he lived, and if he has any relatives around."

The terminal emitted a soft beeping noise and she moved to scan the screen, slipping her glasses from her pocket to read the print scrawling over the screen. With a smile of satisfaction she downloaded the information to her communicator.

"Got it. His apartment address, and his family; an ex wife and one son. They don't live too far from the Laboratory."

"Great…" His voice was anything but thrilled. "We get to spend our day snooping around a dead guy's house and talking to some lady who probably has a chip on her shoulder about said guy, or men in general."

"Probably." She smiled brightly. "And you're only going to further confirm her poor opinions of the sex."

"Hey now Trepe. I didn't come here to be insulted."

"No?" She reached up to release her hair from its clip and raised a brow at him. "Too bad. It's a hazard of the job."

He looked as thought he might say something, then he let out a chuckle, rubbing a hand through his hair.

"What do you say we go out for dinner? I'll show you around the city a little." She sat on the bed to slip on her shoes, tapping them into place.

He was nodding as he went to retrieve his own boots. "Yeah fine, so long as we find a bar. There's no booze in my room. I looked."

She rolled her eyes and stood, leading him to the door. Together they made their way down towards the lift, an easy silence falling between them. Beyond the sliding glass doors sat Esthar city at night; lit up from below. The greenish light shone through the walkways and reflected off the tall buildings, making the entire town look ethereal.

Quistis stood a moment, absorbing the view, "Well… let's try to enjoy our first night here. Because tomorrow the work starts."


	13. Let me keep these moments

Chapter 12: Let me keep these moments

Disclaimer: No I don't own FF8 or its characters

Author's Notes: Thanks to all my readers! This chapter took me a bit longer than usual to get out, but I'm really getting into the grit of things coming up so it may take a bit longer for each chapter to be released.  
Also, thanks to my awesome beta-reader Ms. Starlight. You can find her on my fave author's so read her fics too ;)

Chapter 12: Let me keep these moments

"_I'm a little curious of you in crowded scenes_

_  
And how serene your friends and fiends_

_  
We flew and strolled as two eliminated gently_

_  
Why don't you close your eyes and reinvent me"_

_Mezzanine- Massive Attack_

The crowds on were on the streets in full throng by the time they made their way to the center of the city and located a place to eat. The restaurant that billed itself as "Esthar's Four Star Dining" was tucked in between a nightclub and a hopping coffee shop. Quistis pushed open the door and the soft sounds of a piano filtered through the air over the hush of diners talking and the clink of silverware.

The bar just ahead of them was long and made of dark frosted glass punctuated by shiny metal horizontal strips. The sleek steel and leather stools that lined it were packed with patrons, all of whom were clothed in different styles of robes, even the men, Seifer noted with some disdain.

The hostess manning the seating chart was garbed in a black and red satin robe with a wide collar that bared her fair shoulders. The thick belt at her waist was clasped with a strange metal buckle that resembled a Chimera. She glanced up as they approached, seeming to view their clothing with the same apprehension Seifer held for hers.

"Table for two please." Quistis craned her head to try and see where the music was coming from.

They were lead to a small booth near a window that gave them a view of the tiny garden that was sandwiched between the restaurant and the neighboring coffee bar. It was meticulously maintained with exotic flowers bursting up in a variety of colors. A tiny robotic creature darted through the leaves and plants, plucking up weeds along its path. Seifer watched it for a moment before turning his attention back to the table, which had a scrolling screen built into the metal top at both his and Quistis' seats. He touched the screen and was rewarded with a menu choice for drinks, appetizers, entrees and desserts. He hit the "drink" button and let his eyes drift over the other occupants of the establishment.

The restaurant seemed busy though not packed, and the aroma from the kitchen was not unappetizing. A sleek, black piano sat across the room, though it was smaller and the design was slightly more minimalist than anything he was familiar with. The musician bent over the keys was female, judging from her delicate hands; however, she was concealed in a light blue robe complete with a hood that drooped low over her face.

"Is it just me or does that song sound vaguely familiar to you?" Quistis asked suddenly, motioning to the pianist.

Seifer looked over at her, then down at the menu screen to select the rest of his meal. "Doesn't sound familiar to me. Not really my kind of music."

Quistis shrugged and listened to the tune as she slid her fingertips over the cool metal surface of the table. There was a tall tube in the center that was lit from within by a blue light, casting a soft glow around them. The effect might have been romantic if she'd been there with someone else.

Across the table Seifer slouched back in his seat, his order placed. Amongst the Estharian citizens he looked out of placebut obviously didn't care. The robes the people here wore seemed impractical to her, and as she admired the stretch of his t-shirt across the muscles in his chest she was secretly glad to know he'd never subscribe to Esthar's sense of style.

Their food was just being delivered by a waitress in a sleek black robe that bunched around her neck when the music trailed to a stop. Quistis briefly wondered how the woman moved in the creation, thanking her as her plate was set before her. She glanced up to see that Seifer had abandoned his examination of the strangely complex salt and pepper machine in favor of the drink that was already leaving a frosty ring of condensation on the glass table-top.

She felt someone at her arm and looked up expecting to see the waitress still hovering beside the table, but instead found a figure wrapped in a pale cerulean robe, hood drooping low over her face, and Quistis recognized the pianist from before. She opened her mouth to greet the woman but didn't have a chance before she pressed a slip of paper into her hand. Quistis curled her fingers around the small note, and then the woman was slipping away, turning with a rustle of silk and the familiar scent of wildflowers.

Seifer was staring at her over the rim of his glass. "Who was that?"

Without reply she hurriedly unfolded the paper, pulling her glasses out to examine the loopy, feminine script.

_Quisty,_

_ I'm so relieved you've come. There are things you must know. Please meet me in the Park by the Presidential Statue in two hours. _

_Sis_

She blinked, reading it again, before sliding it across the smooth surface of the table to her companion. He snatched it up, reading it as he took a long sip of his drink. He grimaced at the strong burn of alcohol down his throat, eyes flickering over the scrap of paper. He passed it back and she stuffed it into her pocket with her glasses before picking up her utensils.

"If she's so eager to meet with us, something really must be going on around here." She said

He nodded, apparently unconcerned as he dug into his meal with relish. She picked at her own plate, her hunger having abated at the idea Ellone needed their help.

oooOOOOOooo

An hour later, they headed towards the meeting place. As they drew closer to the park the city lights dimmed to a soft violet hue, clinging close to the clear walkways and leaving the private homes shadowed under the night sky. Their footsteps echoed in the otherwise silent stillness that had fallen with a hush over this part of the city. It was quite a contrast from the brightly-lit, crowded streets they had been on only a short time before.

They passed under a woven metal archway and into the park. Suddenly the air filled with the sounds of insects and the rustle of leaves caught in the wind, marking their entrance into another world separate from that of the city around them. The directory ahead flashed a greeting across its large touch-screen and Quistis tapped at the dot marked "Presidential Statue". The helpful map highlighted the trail that would get them there quickest and Seifer rolled his eyes as he started down the path.

"People in this place must be pretty fucking lazy if they can't even read a map on their own."

She said nothing, but the small smile flickering over her lips told him she didn't completely disagree. They walked in silence for a time, Seifer swinging lazy circles through the air with Hyperion as Quistis scanned the darkened clumps of foliage along their path.

This time of night, no one else was around; unlike other cities there was not even a bum sleeping on a bench, nor a drunk relieving himself on a nearby tree. The only other sounds aside from nature around them were the occasional whirrs of small robots passing by, searching futilely for trash to collect.

Ahead of them the statue thrust out of the groundatop a shining pedestal of polished stone. It was illuminated by four large flood lights positioned at each corner. Wrought out of dull metal, it stood at about two times Seifer's height -- a replica of the man they'd met earlier that day. He stood in a slightly clichéd heroic pose, a gun at his hip, and his other arm raised victoriously. The caption below announced: _In honor of President Laguna Liore, whose brave actions liberated the people of Esthar from the Sorceress Adel_

Seifer took a cursory look aroundand found they were the only ones there.

"You and your damn need to be everywhere early." He cast an irritated look in Quistis' direction. "We could have spent more time at the bar. I could be on my way to drunk right now."

"That only makes me relieved I did decide to head here early." Her remark was dry and she didn't even look at him.

He let out a brief snort and crossed his arms, leaning back against the stone pedestal. "You're just worried that if I get too much alcohol in me, I'll do something stupid like kiss you again."

She was startled by the comment, but made no show of it, relieved the dim light hid the blush that lifted to her cheeks.

"I'd have to think about it in order to worry about it, and as a matter of fact I'd completely forgotten the incident."

"Bullshit," he murmured, and she could feel the heat of his body radiating against her back as he moved into her personal space.

He fingered a lock of her hair and she tensed, her spine going straight as a rod. However, her pride kept her from stepping away. She could feel the rough brush of his knuckles over the back of her neck and an involuntary shiver arched through her.

"You can't tell me you haven't thought about it." His voice was low, and seemed to be drowned out by the beating of her heart. "I'll just bet you want me to do it again."

Her tongue darted out to wet her lower lip as she struggled to make her voice sound normal. "I'd rein in that ego a bit Seifer. You're flattering yourself."

"I didn't hear a denial."

Quistis turned her head to look up at him and he was close enough that she could smell the subtle hint of cologne. She took a step backso that she wouldn't need to tilt her head at an awkward angle to keep his gaze. Nervous anticipation coiled in her belly as he stared back at her and she found herself wondering if she really did want him to kiss her again. The man was insufferable, arrogant, caustic, and tactless. But right now he was like an anchor in the storm that had become her life. Familiar and real, his presence engulfed her and she found her judgment slipping away like the mists in a strong wind when she was around him. There were a million reasons why she shouldn't want nor allow him to kiss her again, but he crowded against her body, one strong arm sliding around her waist, palm spread wide against her lower back, and those reasons fizzled out. She felt delicate and feminine with his large frame pressed to hers, and her breath caught in her throat as he lowered his head.

For a long moment neither one of them moved, heads close their breaths mingled. Then Quistis' eyes fluttered shut as his lips brushed against hers. The breath she didn't realize she'd been holding released as his mouth closed hungrily over hers. Seifer's hand slid up against the back of her neck, curling there as his fingers tangled in her hair. Her own hands bunched at the hem of his shirt, her fingers pressing into his sides as her lips parted against his in an involuntary moan. She could feel his self-satisfied smirk against her mouth and closed her teeth over his lower lip, tugging, and was rewarded with his hand fisting in her hair.

Her fingertips curled under the hem of his t-shirt, tugging it up just enough to graze along the skin there. Goosebumps rose over his flesh and the hand on her back slid lower, cupping the curve of her ass.

Then someone cleared their throat, loud and deliberate. They jerked apart like guilty teenagers and Quistis could feel the heat rising in her cheeks as they stood dumbly catching their breaths under the long shadow of the statue.

Ellone was before them smiling, not even bothering to conceal her amusement. She was still wearing the robe from earlier but had pushed the hood away to reveal her familiar face. She cocked her head, hair falling across her cheek as she watched them. Seifer seemed unconcerned, though perhaps a bit annoyed.

Ellone couldn't help herself: "I didn't interrupt anything did I?"

He grinned at her in that way she knew he wouldand shrugged. "Probably a good thing you arrived when you did. Any later and you might have gotten a show."

Quistis turned a glare on him that would have cut steel, swinging one limb out to elbow him in the gut. He wheezed out a breath of surprise and discomfort, folding his arms protectively over his stomach.

"What the hell was that for!?"

"Shut up, Seifer."

Ellone stifled her laughter valiantly, all too reminded of her short time at the orphanage with the two people before her. It seemed they really hadn't changed all that much.

Quistis seemed tense and Ellone sobered immediately, sensing the other woman's embarrassment. She smiled, stepping further into the light so that it shone against her hair and the silk of her dress.

"I'm sorry to have kept you both waiting, but thank you for coming to meet me here. It's important that no one knows of this."

They exchanged glances before nodding at her.

"I suppose I ought to explain why I asked for you to come here." She brushed her hands over the long skirts of the robe, smoothing away imaginary wrinkles. "It's been impossible to reach anyone outside of the city. I've tried to contact Balamb Garden but there's some sort of shield in place that blocks transmissions. I also have my doubt about the regular mail system, but I sent a letter out anyway."

She let out a long sigh, leaning back against the pedestal of the statue and her companions watched her, their own expressions serious.

"Several days ago when my Uncle left for the trial with Kiros and Ward I stayed behind at the Presidential Palace to oversee basic things until their return. The board of advisors always handles all important decisions though." She waved a hand, returning to the topic. "We got word that Uncle's airship had gone down that evening. I assumed they'd send out a search party at once... but nothing happened. They told the people of Esthar that they were looking for him, but it was a lie. I didn't understand why nothing was being done. I tried to meet with the advisors. They kept giving me excuses, and it was only a few days after that Uncle reappeared. I don't know how he came back, or what happened to Kiros and Ward. I haven't been alone with him at all. But I saw enough to know that it wasn't Laguna who came back to us. He looks like him, but it's not him. I can tell."

Quistis' eyes widened and she nodded. "Of course, something did seem off about him when he met us earlier today."

"You should know that you're probably in danger here. After I realized it wasn't my Uncle who had returned I started snooping around. I'm too conspicuous so I couldn't find much. But Dr. Odine came by several times within a short span of time, and I heard that there was some construction going on which Laguna had authorized a large budget for. If Odine Labs is involved, it could be anything."

"That could be what Jittery came to tell you about." Seifer spoke up from where he was sitting across the top of a nearby bench.

Quistis nodded and met Ellone's questioning look. "A scientist from Odine Labs came to negotiate with Balamb Garden. We didn't learn much from him before he was killed. There's no hard evidence and Cid's being accused. That's why we came here."

"If it does have something to do with whatever is going on with the false Laguna, they won't let you find out anything important. For now, you can't let on you know anything. We have to try and figure out what their plan is and get word to Squall."

Both women failed to notice the scowl that passed over Seifer's face at the mention of the Commander.

"Ellone… you need to be careful as well. Until we figure out what's going on you could be danger." Quistis tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, blinking through weary eyes. "You should try and keep a low profile. As you said earlier, you're conspicuous. We don't want you getting hurt, and we won't be able to keep enough of an eye on you while we're investigating."

The brunette nodded, slipping her hood back into place. "I'm completely anonymous. A friend of mine working for the records offices got me a false identity for now. I can work at the restaurant playing piano and as long as I keep this up…" She indicated the hood, "I'm safe."

"I never knew you played…" Quistis checked the time on her comm. device, regretful that their meeting was under such circumstances.

Ellone shrugged, a brief smile passing over her lips from beneath the shadow of the low hood. "Uncle had a toy piano at his home in Winhill… I sort of played around on it. I'm alright." She let out a soft sigh, clearly thinking back on the man she loved like a father, one who was most likely gone for good. "You two watch out for one another, promise me. I don't want to lose anyone else."

Uncomfortable with the emotions hanging in the air, Seifer pushed off from the bench, hooking his gunblade at his belt. "You bet I'll keep my eye on Trepe here. Wouldn't want her to get hurt."

Quistis shot him a scowl, folding her arms over her chest. "You should watch your own ass Seifer. I'm more than capable of taking care of myself."

He smirked back at her, a knowing glint in his eyes and she made a low sound of exasperation before turning back to Ellone. "We'll let you know if we find anything. Are you okay heading home alone?"

"Of course. I'm renting a small place not far from here. Be safe."

She raised one hand in a brief wave, before turning and walking away, becoming little more than a dim silhouette against the low lights before she completely disappeared from view.


	14. Wake up and fall into place

Chapter 13: Wake up and fall into place

Disclaimer: FFVIII and its characters belong to SquareEnix.

Author's Note: Thanks to all my loyal readers. Hope you like this one!

Chapter 13: Wake up and fall into place

"_I linger in the doorway_

_  
Of alarm clock screaming_

_  
Monsters calling my name_

_  
Let me stay_

_  
Where the wind will whisper to me_

_  
Where the raindrops_

_  
As they're falling tell a story"_

_Imaginary - Evanescence_

A heavy mist hung low over the city as the sun rose the following morning. Light filtered through the droplets to cast a smattering of rainbows through the thick air. Quistis stood against metal railing of the balcony outside her room. The rising sun glinted off her hair, which was loose and rumpled from sleep. She'd woken and hastily drawn on her robe, unable to resist the beautiful morning. With the colors dancing off the air around her, it was almost hard to believe something sinister was lurking within this city.

The sun rose higher in the sky and she let out a sigh, pushing away from the railing to turn inside. The bedclothes were still tangled and half on the floor from the restless sleep she'd had the night before. Padding across the room to the small coffee maker that sat atop a short marble counter, she slid in a pre-measured packet of Estharian Premium Blend and pressed the button on the side. As the machine worked its magic she stepped into the bathroom. She double checked the lock on the door to Seifer's room, even though he was most likely still sound asleep, before slipping out of the robe.

As the hot spray pounded against her shoulders, Quistis closed her eyes and took the moment to relax. They were going ahead with their original plans, hoping that the investigation of the murdered scientist would lead them to the bigger picture. She roughly scrubbed the shampoo into her scalp, biting down on her lower lip. What she really wanted to find out was just what was going on with Esthar's President. But right now they had to be very careful where they poked around. Without backup, or even any way to contact Balamb Garden, they couldn't afford to have the city turned against them.

She stepped from the shower, shutting off the water as she dripped onto the plush bathmat. She grabbed a towel from the rack and dried herself before digging into her tiny makeup bag. It held only a pair of replacement glasses, contacts she rarely used, one tube of lipstick, nail clippers, and her one luxury item: a bottle of lotion she bought once from Dollet. It smelt faintly of roses, with the spicy hint of labdanum - neither overpowering. She smoothed it over her limbs, rubbing it between her hands carefully. Capping the bottle she slid it back into her bag, reminding herself to order more when this was all over.

Quistis wrapped herself in her robe once more, rubbing her hair dry with the towel as she went back to her room to dress. She made sure to unlock Seifer's door before she left and went to pick through her small selection of clothes. She laid out a pair of shorts and a sleeveless top on the bed before going to pour herself a cup of coffee. The smell of it had since filled the room and she drew a deep breath before taking a tiny, testing sip. Sighing in satisfaction she turned back to dressing.

oooOOOOooo

Meanwhile, in the next room, Seifer slept soundly. He was splayed across the large bed, limbs flung out in all directions, head buried into the pillow. In peaceful serenity, he dozed.

A soft monotone beeping sounded throughout the bedroom. At first it did not disturb the man sleeping there, but soon it rose in volume. Seifer stirred on the bed, pulling the pillow over his head. The sound increased again, becoming more insistent, and he snapped up in bed, glaring through weary eyes. Beside the bed, he spotted the item responsible for disturbing his rest. The insignificant looking box was no bigger than a pack of cigarettes, but the speaker dominated its surface. The sound it was emitting now had become shrill and the beeps were in such fast succession that it was nownearly a continuous noise.

"What the fuck?" he growled, reaching for the small machine. "I didn't set any damn alarm."

Muttering under his breath he rubbed one arm across his bleary eyes as he turned the box over in his hands, searching for the off button. It was starting to make his ears ache. He tapped his thumb against a button laid along one corner, but he only succeeded in changing the tone of the beeping.

"How do you turn this thing off…?" He scowled and pressed everything that looked like a button or a switch. The machine let out a low blare at him and the small lights across the top began to flash.

At first he thought he'd succeeded in silencing it, and then the irritating high sound resumed. Seifer debated tossing it out the window and trying to get back to sleep, but knowing this place the alarm would probably sprout wings and fly back to torment him. He chucked it to the floor and heaved himself out of bed, tossing aside the bed sheets. His bare feet flexed against the cool floor and the beeping noise ceased suddenly.

"What the hell!?" He snarled and kicked it, letting out a string of curses when he hurt his toe on the small, surprisingly solid, metal box.

He stalked into the bathroom, shoving the door open so it bounced against the wall once. Quistis stood at the sink, toothbrush dangling from her lips, her eyes wide. She was dressed already, but her hair still hung loose and damp down her back. Their eyes met in the reflection of the small mirror and hers slid over him in examination. Heat flushed in her cheeks when she realized he was clothed only in a pair of grey boxers and she hastily looked away.

Seifer shoved a hand through his bed-mussed hair, not even in the mood to tease her about her obvious embarrassment at seeing him half naked.

"Do you mind?" he fairly growled. "I need to take a piss."

She wrinkled her nose, spitting into the sink before turning to him. "What's your problem?"

"My problem is damn irritating alarms that set themselves and then don't even have a fucking snooze button!" He pressed his thumbs against his eyelids, rubbing away the last bits of sleep.

Her mouth formed a small "Oh" and she tucked her toothbrush away. "Well it's a good thing you're up. You'll probably want to have a quick breakfast before we leave."

He stared at her blankly. "Yeah, fine."

She smiled and made her way to the door that led to her bedroom. "Oh and by the way, Seifer?"

He turned towards her, one questioning brow raised slightly.

"I set that alarm." She grinned cheekily and quickly closed the door, chuckling under her breath as he cursed her from the other side of the door.

oooOOOOooo

Zell tapped his foot as he waited for the elevator that would take him up to the Commander's office. He and his team had returned to Balamb Garden that morning, and though they'd found a lot of inconsistencies in the stories of the witnesses against Cid, their mission had not been as fruitful as he'd hoped.

The elevator dinged softly to announce its arrival as the door slid open. Zell stepped on, moving to press the button for the third floor when a voice rung out through the lobby.

"Hey, Zell. Hold the door!"

He spotted the petite form of Selphie bounding towards him. She wore a pair of tiny shorts in bright orange and a yellow tank top. Her orange sneakers resounded against the marble tiles before she leapt up the short staircase towards the elevator.

Zell grinned, keeping his finger pressed against the "Open door" button as he waved with the other. She stuck one tiny foot out to keep the door wedged open and he could see little plastic moombas dangling off the laces on her shoes. He shook his head and looked up as Irvine came up the steps towards them. He'd clearly been moving at a more relaxed pace than his girlfriend, but his long stride hadn't left him far behind.

He tipped his hat in greeting, his other arm curled against his side, a round metallic object tucked in the crook of his elbow. Zell cast a questioning gaze at it as Irvine stepped onto the elevator after Selphie. The taller man held it up – balancing it between the fingertips of both hands.

"We found it at the crash site," he explained as the lift doors swished shut.

"What is it?" Zell cracked his knuckles, itching to hold the strange sphere in his own hands and examine it.

"Dunno. Popped her open on the flight back, but wasn't anything we could make sense of. Gonna drop it off with the tech guys after we make our report to the Commander."

The elevator halted at its destination and the three of them filed out towards Squall's office. His secretary sat behind her desk, tapping away at the keys of her computer. A bright pink pen topped with a riot of feathers stuck up from the mass of red curls that was her hair. She paused and lifted her head to look up at them.

"You can go in."

The woman returned to her typing as they walked past her and in through the double doors to the office beyond.

Squall sat behind the immense desk, papers stacked and scattered across the surface. A large pile of reports sat haphazardly atop one of the file cabinets along one wall, sticky notes were littered across his desk and over his computer screen. Still more were wadded into the overflowing trash can. Zell looked down at the thick grey folder in his hands that comprised his own report, somewhat guiltily. The Commander looked like the last thing he needed was more reading material.

Still, as the man in question raised his head and gestured for them to sit, he didn't look nearly as harassed as Zell had supposed. He pushed aside some papers to fold his hands together atop the desk.

"Thanks for coming guys. As you can guess, I don't have a lot of time so just give me the short versions. Zell, we'll start with you."

"Sure… right." The young blonde stood, clearing his throat as he handed over the envelope to Squall. "My team and I traveled to Balamb, Timber, and Dollet within the past week to question some of the supposed witnesses against Headmaster Cid. We found some conflicting stories in all places, which led us to believe these witnesses were lying."

The Commander nodded, signaling for the young SeeD to continue.

"After that we were trying to get something a little more solid when you called us back. We brought everything we found but it's not much. It wouldn't do a lot of good at the trial."

"That's fine, thank you, Zell. I should inform all of you…" Squall began as Zell took his seat once again, "The trial has been postponed. As first it just seemed that the other members of the tribunal were already convinced of the Headmaster's guild, but there may be more to it than we are aware of. Beginning with the accusations against him and following the incident with the Estharian ship, we suspect that this is only a distraction from a larger problem. Selphie, Irvine, if you'll tell us about your findings now, they may help to shed some light on things."

The petite brunette nodded and stood to pass him her own report, setting it daintily on his desk. The plastic ends of her shoe laces made an irritating clinking noise as she paced several steps across the room and then back again. She stopped, much to the relief of the other occupants in the room and pursed her lips.

"We found the wreckage not far off the coast of the continent of Esthar, where it was partially submerged. It was missing one wing and engine and various portions of the hull were broken off or badly damaged. We have aerial and ground images in the file." She motioned with her hand and Squall flipped open the folder, sifting through the large glossy photos before looking back at her. "We found the bodies of the two crewmen who operated and piloted the ship. They've been brought back here where Dr. Kadowaki can perform an autopsy to see if they died as a result of the crash or drowned…."

Selphie's fingers flexed together, curling into small nervous fists as she took a shaky breath. She turned to Irvine and he passed her a warm smile that seemed to settle her as she reached out for the metallic sphere he held in his hands. She clutched it briefly against her chest before pivoting, the moombas on her laces clanking noisily together. With a smile she offered it to Squall, who closed his hand around it. It felt lightand the metal was warmed from being carried. He turned it around in his hand, inspecting its smooth surface. There was a small seam that wove around in an intricate design and he passed his fingers over it.

His thumb dipped into a circular indent and with a faint mechanical whir the sphere began to move. Squall frowned and held it up as it split at the seam, unfolding like the slices of a pie. Inside were a hundred blinking lights; it looked like the inside of a computer, a highly complex and tiny computer.

"What is it?" He lifted his head to look at his friends.

"We're not really sure." Selphie admitted, "I took a look at it and its obviously advanced technology. Also… if you look just inside the on the top piece, you'll find a familiar symbol."

Squall shifted the object in his hands and frowned as he made out the symbol for Odine Labs etched into the metal.

"We found it in the engine." Selphie's hands curled into fists again. "If I could take a guess… I'd say that thing, whatever it is, is responsible for the airship failing. When we recovered information from the main computer in the cockpit it pointed to engine failure. Sudden and without warning."

"If that's true…" Zell spoke up from his chair, "Than someone in Esthar is responsible for killing or attempting to kill their own leader!"

"And," Irvine's voice was without its usual calm drawl, "That person is still there, probably involved with whatever is going on with Odine Labs, and probably linked to that dead guy in FH."

Squall pushed the metallic sphere shut. "We're jumping to conclusions. Anyone could buy Estharian tech these days. It's shipped all over."

"That's assuming that all this other stuff is a coincidence," Irvine stated firmly, brushing his bangs away from his face. "If it isn't, then we just dropped Quistis into the middle of a very dangerous situation."

The Commander stood, walking to gaze pensively out the window. "Quistis is smart. She can take care of herself and lay low if she has to. I just hope she managed to find someone dependable to back her up." He scowled at his own reflection, knowing he should have gone with her himself.

Selphie rolled her eyes and made a noise of derision. "Yeah right! You don't know who is with her?!"

He turned to look at her blankly as she bounced on her feet, clasping her hands together in front of her chest.He let out a long sigh and looked away.

"Who?"

"Seifer," Irvine spoke up calmly, running a fingertip along the rim of his cowboy hat.

Squall fell utterly silent, caught in his own thoughts on the subject, whereas Zell shoved out of his chair, knocking it to the floor with a muffled thump.

"WHAT!?" His hands bunched into fists and his shoulders trembled, almost as if he was face to face with the subject of his rage and could attack at any moment. "That… that jerk!? There's no way Quisty would ask him to help her!" He dodged from foot to foot, swinging a punch through the air. "There's no way he'd even do it. Everyone knows Seifer helps no one but himself!"

Irvine shrugged, leaning back in his chair. "Sure Zell, that's why he's with her in Esthar right now. Anyhow, that's the way it is. No use getting so worked up about it."

Zell turned to look at the other man in disbelief. "I can't believe you're okay with this! You just let her go off to Esthar with…. _Seifer_?" The name was spit from his mouth as if it were an offensive taste.

"Quistis can take care of herself, and deal with him just fine. I warned him. It's going to be fine."

"He did seem to be behaving himself…" Selphie added softly, sparing a glance at Squall.

Zell made to open his mouth but one firm look from their commanding officer silenced him and he turned to straighten his chair, shoulders hunched slightly.

"There's nothing we can do to change what's already happened." Squall moved to return to his desk, "So I think there's really no point in arguing about it. We'll try and contact someone in Esthar. We may have to go through unofficial channels. For now, I think we have to consider that the city may be under the control of dangerous persons. We have to be prepared for any and all possibilities. I'm going to put the Garden on alert and notify the other Gardens of this information. You're all dismissed."

They stood and Selphie moved to collect the sphere from his desk with the promise of taking it to the tech rooms. After the door slammed shut behind them Squall stared at its dark wooden surface for a long moment. Outside the shadows of a cloud passed overhead, briefly darkening the office as the sun slid away behind it. As the shadows fell across him Squall pressed his face into his hands and sighed.


	15. Secrets and Lies

Chapter 14: Secrets and Lies

Disclaimer: I do not own FFVIII and its characters. I do own all original characters.

Author's Note: I'm especially pleased with this chapter so I hope you all enjoy it  Thanks for reading!

Chapter 14: Secrets and Lies

"_Please, please forgive me,  
_

_But I won't be home again.  
_

_Maybe someday you'll look up,  
_

_And, barely conscious, you'll say to no one:  
_

_"Isn't something missing?"_

_Missing- Evanescence_

The former Mrs. James Kennisy resided on the seventeenth floor of one large gleaming apartment building. It was only five blocks northeast of the Odine Laboratories HQ and Quistis could see the huge metal logo rising off the top of the building in the distance, proclaiming the name of the company in flamboyant red lettering.

She and Seifer stood in the long hallway outside apartment number 704, one wall lined with ceiling to floor windows, whose blue reflective surfaces bounced away the heat of the sun's light, along with the glare, allowing for a stunning view of the city. Her companion wasn't speaking to her, still miffed about the alarm clock "incident" and stood with a scowl plastered over his handsome face, his hands tucked into the pockets of a pair old faded black jeans.

She rolled her eyes and turned as the door clicked open, inching back slightly so someone could peer out at them.

"Yes? Can I help you?"

Quistis caught a glimpse of fair skin and a red, belled sleeve.

"Hello, Ms. Kennisy? My name is Quistis Trepe. My colleague and I are here on behalf of Balamb Garden. Would you mind if we asked you a few questions concerning your ex-husband?"

There was a heavy pause before the door swung open wider. The woman that stood there was tall, standing a few inches above Quistis, with straight brown hair that hinted towards red. She was willow slim and seemed more like the type one would see gracing pages of a fashion magazine rather than the wife of a nervous little scientist.

She studied them a long moment, then stepped aside to let them in, closing and locking the door behind them.

The room she led them to was large and open, with windows dominating the far wall. The curtains were open to let in the morning sun. The soft light filtered over a plush lilac colored carpet, where toys were strewn here and there: a small remote controlled car, interconnecting building blocks and action figures that vaguely resembled Estharian soldiers. A heavy, rectangular coffee table sat between two low, navy sofas. It resembled a half-melted ice-cube and had crayons scattered across its glass surface.

The little boy that sat before it indian style stared up at them curiously. The black crayon clutched between small fingers was worn to the nub and poised over the page of a coloring book. His dark hair stuck up every which way in the typical fashion of a child who can't still their hands. He seemed normally dressed in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt with some child's television hero depicted on the front in a battle pose.

Seifer eyed the child warily and sat on the couch opposite him. Quistis declined the offer of a drink and sat on his left, offering the boy a smile before turning her attention to his mother.

No longer interested in something as childish as coloring, the kid released his grip on the black crayon and walked around to look up at them. He was small, but then again most kids were, and Seifer had no idea what the boy's age could possibly be.

"You have a sword," the boy announced in a clear voice, peering up at Seifer curiously. He gave a grin, proudly displaying the gap where his left front tooth should be. "Can I see it?"

"It's a gunblade. And no."

Quistis elbowed him in the side and smiled. "You're a little young to be handling weapons. What's your name?"

"Ethan. And I'm not little. I'm seven."

"Looks like a shrimp to me..." Seifer muttered under his breath and received another elbow in his gut for the trouble.

"Ethan…" the boy's mother admonished gently, ushering him away. "Why don't you go play in your room for a little while?" We have very important and boring things to talk about. I promise afterwards we'll play."

The kid pouted and Seifer hoped the woman meant "we" as in her, because he certainly wasn't playing with some seven year old little shrimp.

Reluctantly, Ethan left the room and Ms. Kennisy took a seat on the couch opposite the two blondes.

"You're the people James went to for help."

Quistis nodded, folding her hands in her lap. "He did, but I'm afraid he wasn't able to tell us much before…"

The woman closed her eyes briefly, looking away. "He's dead. I know." She let out a long breath. "The divorce… it was James' idea. He stumbled into something at work, something dangerous. He didn't want Ethan or me to be touched by it. He figured we were safer away from him."

She turned to face them again and Quistis saw tears sparkling in her dark eyes before she blinked them away.

"Ms. Kennisy…"

"It's Laura." She dashed her lashes with her fingertips and offered them a watery smile.

Uncomfortable Seifer glanced down at the butt of his gunblade and wondered what the kid was playing in the safety of his room.

"Laura…" Quistis continued, "anything you can tell us will help. We're trying to find out who is responsible and bring them to justice."

"I don't know what I can tell you…" She twisted her slender fingers together and then smoothed the skirts of her burgundy robes.

"Everything started about a year ago," Laura began, her gaze growing distant. "James and some others from the Laboratory took a small excavation crew out to the ruins in the salt flats about a day's journey south of the city. As I'm sure you know, in the days before the first lunar cry the continent of Esthar was populated with many cities. This one is the only one to have survived."

Quistis nodded and though Seifer was studying the wall in obvious boredom, the woman continued, "After about two months digging they found something there. James couldn't give me details, but he was very excited. From what he was able to tell me I gathered it was some sort of life form. Whatever it was, it was very important to Dr. Odine, and all of the workers dealing with it were required to sign a confidentiality agreement. James had told me that there was so much they could learn from the study of this life form they found, as usually the only known cases of it today are too dangerous to approach, or are more parasitic forms, with hosts."

Quistis narrowed her eyes and glanced at Seifer to her right, wondering what the Estharian scientists might have found. He, on the other hand, looked extremely disinterested.

"What's so damn special about a parasite?" He scowled.

Laura shrugged. "As I said, I don't know exactly what it was or is. All I know is that it must be worth a lot of money or prestige. After a few months James began to act strangely. He seemed on edge, and when I asked he told me he just didn't feel right with what was going on at work anymore. He said it was wrong of them to experiment on this life form they found. I got the feeling it must have been a being with some level of intelligence. At first he said it seemed frightened, then angry. He said that strange things kept occurring: that the creature would seem to disappear only to turn up later, and that people in the office would do things completely out of character and not recall a thing later."

She twisted the gold band on her finger idly and looked up at them, meeting Quistis' eyes with something akin to pleading in her own.

"James said the creature was dangerous, but that Dr. Odine didn't care. James wanted to stop whatever was happening, and so did some of his other colleagues, but they didn't know what to do. They were afraid to go directly to our government because then Odine would know. James finally decided that SeeD was his best bet, so he contacted your Garden." She closed her eyes. "Before he left... he told me when this was all over... when it was safe, we'd be together again." Her voice broke, tears slipping down her cheeks. "But he's dead now, and now that I've spoken to you, I could be next."

"We'll make sure that doesn't happen." Quistis said firmly, giving her a reassuring smile. "What you've told us is a great help."

"I don't know any specifics, so I'm sorry I couldn't be more helpful."

"It's more than we knew twenty minutes ago. But one other thing that may help is if you could give us the names of some of your husband's colleagues, the ones who also were uncomfortable with what was going on."

Ms. Kennisy nodded and stood, crossing to a desk in the corner of the room. She fished a small black book out of the top drawer, a pen and a piece of paper. As she flipped through, copying down names and information, she spoke, "I don't know how many of them will be cooperative. James' death frightened a lot of people."

She crossed to them, passing the slip of folded paper to Quistis who stood, Seifer following suit.

The door clicked quietly shut behind them.

oooOOOOooo

Quistis sighed as they made their way from the apartment building, the list of names now tucked securely into the front pocket of her shorts.

"Well, we'll see about contacting some of these people, but first I want to stop by Odine Labs and see if we can find anything out." She indicated the huge office high-rise up ahead.

Seifer shrugged. "If you want, but I doubt some guy who's willing to have one of his employees killed to keep a secret is going to let a SeeD come in and snoop around."

"That's assuming Odine was responsible for the man's death, she reasoned, making her way down the nearly empty commercial street. "And if he doesn't let us in, we just have to know how to manipulate the situation."

There was a gleam in her eye that vaguely intrigued him and he raised a brow. "How?"

"Dr. Odine is a weasel." She spoke in a hushed tone. "But he's brilliant. One of the things he prides himself on is his knowledge, that and his superior inventions. But he just loves to show people just how much he knows. He's written several books on Guardian Forces and also on Sorceresses. He's considered the leading authority in both cases. Now, he's come to B Garden several times to study GFs, but the one thing we never let him study was a Sorceress. Squall is very protective of Rinoa and won't let him speak to her. He's tried several times."

"So, what, are you going to say we'll let him talk to Rinoa if he lets us into his Lab? I don't think Puberty Boy would agree to that, even in this case."

"No, but we have something almost as good to offer." She smiled at him and he felt suddenly wary, looking back at her distrustfully. "Who better knows the Sorceress than her Knight?"

Seifer visibly stiffened and Quistis could see the veins bulging from his arms as his hands curled into fists.

"No fucking way."

She said nothing, watching as various emotions played across his face.

"You'll have to find some other bargaining chip, Trepe."

Quistis sighed, stopping to look up at him. "What's the big deal? Just make something up. It doesn't have to be anything important."

He swung around suddenly to face her, one hand closing around her arm. "What's the big deal? I don't want to talk about it. Not for real, and not for pretend, and not to some damn nosy little know-it-all who wouldn't have any fucking clue what it's like."

Quistis winced at his painful grip but he only continued.

"Did you ever stop to think what it's like not to be on the winning side of everything that went down? She took my dreams and she twisted them around until I was her puppet, her fucking pawn. I still have these nightmares, I..."

He closed his mouth, shoving her away before he could reveal any more. Quistis stood, slightly shaken and staring at him. Something in her eyes made him uncomfortable, something soft and generousand suspiciously like sympathy. He turned away, a heavy silence falling over them as she rubbed at her bicep.

Pushing a hand through his hair Seifer turned on his heel. "I'm getting out of here. This was a mistake." He stalked away and Quistis watched the sun glint off the back of his head.

She stood there for a long moment, watching as he grew smaller in the distance before disappearing around the corner of a building. She set her jaw, turning to look up at the laboratory building that rose up before her. With a sigh she turned away and went the other direction, after the former Knight.

oooOOOOooo

A few hours later Quistis decided to head back to the Presidential Palace. She'd lost track of Seifer just after their small disagreement and despite checking what she thought to be nearly every bar in Esthar, still had seen no sign of him. Exhausted she made her way towards her temporary room and kicked her shoes off once inside. The bed looked soft and inviting and the recycled air felt cool against her sweat-sheened skin. She desperately wanted a shower, and was contemplating making it a cool one. However she tamped down that desire and crossed over the small tiled room to the door that lead to Seifer's room.

When she turned the knob it clicked softly and the door eased open. The first thing she saw was his bag sitting against the wall near the dresser and she let out a tiny sigh of relief before letting her gaze move around the rest of the room. She saw him then, lying on his side on the bed, back to her. Assuming he was asleep she turned to leave, but there was the rustle of sound as he rolled over on the bed and looked at her.

"What do you want?"

Quistis moved further into the room, fidgeting with her fingers a moment before she lifted her lashes to look at him. "I came to apologize. I didn't realize that…"

He pushed himself up on his elbows, silencing her with his gaze. "Look, I'd really rather not hear it."

She frowned and bit down on her lower lip. "Can't you accept a simple apology?"

"I'm not interested in your damn apologies. I told you I didn't want to talk about this. Whatever guilt you have over bringing it up will just have to stay on you. I don't want your apology, and you're only attempting in the first place to make yourself feel better."

Quistis looked annoyed, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. "That's a rather cynical view isn't it?"

Seifer snorted. "I call it realistic."

She was silent for a long moment, moving to sit on the edge of his bed. What she really wanted was for him to tell her about what was bothering him, to unlock some of the mystery behind the man. He never seemed regretful nor repetent about the events of a year ago. Logically she knew that just because he'd let a few things slip, didn't mean he was ready to open up to her, but for some reason she was still tempted to try.

Seifer watched her, knowing that her brain was turning, trying to figure out how to understand him, how to get inside his head. He also knew if he let her think too long she'd come up with something, and then he'd be screwed. For the moment he studied her perched on the edge of the bed, shorts riding high up pale thighs, the top button of her otherwise demure top undone. Her hair had earlier been tamed back into its habitual twist, but strands had slipped free and stuck against the back of her neck and along her hairline with sweat. It was utterly ridiculous but she lookedamazing.

Quistis snapped out of her line of thought when the bed shifted as Seifer moved to sit beside her. His stare was intense and she wanted desperately to say something, but nothing came to mind. His hand snaked out to rest on her waist and turned her towards him. Her mouth opened and closed, emitting little more than a strangled gasp as his fingers tightened at her hip. As his lips crushed against hers, Quistis could swear she heard the sound of her blood roaring in her ears.

She closed her eyes, her lips moving against his as she stopped thinking. If she were she might realize that he'd just been trying to get away from the topic of apologies and all the things that were niggling at the back of her mind. Instead she slid her hands up his back to clutch at his shoulders, her short nails digging into the cotton of his t-shirt. His hand inched up her thigh, skimming along the skin just under the hem of her shorts and she gasped, her lips parting against his mouth.

Granted access, his tongue swept in to explore her mouth and Quistis's eyes opened slightly in surprise. Seifer drew back to kiss down along the line of her throat and she relaxed, tilting her head to the side breathlessly. She felt dazed and he grabbed her more firmly by the hips, shifting her so she was lying lengthwise along the foot of the bed, nudging her legs apart to settle between them. She was slightly too tall and despite the huge bed her feet were sticking off the side. She could feel Seifer's weight pressing her into the mattress and her vision was slightly blurred as she stared up at the ceiling.

Quistis closed her eyes, arching her body up as she tugged his shirt off, fingertips grazing the exposed skin. She felt the moan that hummed through him and felt a tiny thrill that she had caused it. The stubble across his chin burned against the skin on her neck and his knuckles brushed against her breastbone as he began to undo the buttons of her top. He'd barely caught a glimpse of pale pink lace beneath when her hands came up and shoved against his chest.

"Wait."

Seifer lifted his head, staring at her with a look of disbelief. "You're kidding me right?"

"No…" She shoved at him again, pressing her swollen lips together. "We can't do this."

He moved off her, irritation glinting in his eyes. "Yeah I'm pretty damn sure we can. You seemed to know all the moves."

She glared at him, sitting up as she re-buttoned her top and smoothed her hair. "It's not that. We just… shouldn't."

"Mind explaining why the fuck not!?"

He looked uncomfortable and probably was, and she felt slightly guilty, but his anger made her tense up, her gaze cooling. She stood from the bed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"We're here on a job, Seifer. This… whatever it is, isn't professional. We can't get distracted by a physical attraction."

"So you're not denying that you want me." He smirked at her and Quistis rolled her eyes.

"Good night, Seifer." She turned to go back through the bathroom to her own room, thinking that now a cold shower really sounded like a good idea.


	16. Conspiracy Theories

Chapter 15: Conspiracy Theories

Disclaimer: I don't own FFVIII and its characters.

Author's Note: More information this chapter. Maybe some of you can figure out what's going on in Esthar

Chapter 15: Conspiracy Theories

"_You can look, but you can't touch  
_

_I don't think I like you much  
_

_Heaven knows what a girl can do  
_

_Heaven knows what you've got to prove_

_I think I'm paranoid"_

_I think I'm Paranoid - Garbage_

Exhaustion hung like a shroud over Seifer as he struggled into his shirt in the steam-filled bathroom. Rubbing a hand over his clean-shaven jaw he regarded his reflection in the mirror, blurred by condensation. He used his towel to wipe away a circle of moisture. His own eyes stared back at him, dulled and ringed by a sleepless night. Groaning he rubbed at them as if he could wipe away the dark circles.

For once his inability to claim sleep had not come from nightmares, but rather from the presence of the woman who he could hear bustling about in the next room. Quistis ran hot and cold and her need to follow the rules left him baffled and more than a little frustrated. It was really no surprise; he'd always been one to discard the rules when it best suited him.

Seifer combed back his hair, ignoring the strands that always fell forward to tickle against his brow. On bare feet he made his way back to his room, his skin prickling up in the conditioned air. Quistis had kindly set that damned alarm yet again, and he had considered shooting it when it went off at 5am.

He sat on the bed to pull on his socks and shoes, his mind wandering from the mundane chore. Breakfast was on the table near the balcony, probably delivered while he was in the shower. He crossed to lift the lid, peering down at the perfectly folded omelet and a slice of thick ham nestled around a mound of potato hash. Food in the palace was certainly a step above what he'd been used to eating back in Fisherman's Horizon.

Seifer ate at a leisurely pace, watching the sun climb higher in the sky through the open balcony doors. The air outside was stagnant and he wasn't really looking forward to slogging about in the heat to go talk to a bunch of paranoid scientists.

Breakfast settled in his stomach, he stepped out into the hallway where Quistis was waiting. She looked professional in a trim knee-length skirt and a pale blue top. As they headed down the hall in mutual silence he noted that she kept herself an arm's length away, and it irritated him. He scowled at the side of her head but she didn't give him the satisfaction of looking, keeping her gaze straight ahead and her stance rigid as they made their way to the lifts that would take them out to the city.

It was going to be a long day.

oooOOOOooo

Four hours later they'd been to eight different apartments and at each one had the door slammed in their faces. The list Laura had given them was now down to merely three names, and the sun was blazing high above their heads. Quistis glanced at the next notation on the slip of paper, pursing her lips. Her stomach grumbled but she ignored it and indicated the cross street just ahead of them.

"The next guy on the list lives just down here…"

"Fuck… Trepe, it's hot and I'm tired and hungry. None of these assholes want to talk to us. Can't we just go get something to eat and sit down?"

Seifer was glad he'd left his jacket at the hotel and forgone his first choice of black clothing this morning. The sun was relentless and without a rental car they had been stuck walking all over the gleaming city. Sure the glass and metal was modern and sleek, but its ability to reflect and intensify the sun's glare was not one of its better features.

"After this next place we'll stop at a restaurant." Quistis said, walking through the sliding glass doors to another identical apartment building.

Seifer felt the relief of the cool recycled air and the chill of the sweat at the back of his neck the second they stepped inside. They took the lift to the 14th floor, disembarking on a narrow and dark hallway, lit only by a full-length window at either side. They exchanged glances, Seifer tilting his head to spot the slim lights that ran along the sides of the ceiling. Quistis ran her hand along the smooth surface of the wall, hersearching fingers locating the small switch to her left. The lights flickered on with a faint hum, casting a pale blue light across them.

With a shrug she led him down the hallway to the door that read 1407 in silver lettering. Quistis knocked twice and they could hear the sounds of someone shuffling about on the other side. There was a pause, and then the faint mutter of a voice.

"Who is it?"

"Mr. Kurtzweil? This is Quistis Trepe from Balamb Garden. Can we please speak with you?"

The door slid open with a hiss, revealing the man in question. He stared down at them through beady eyes that looked out from behind wire rimmed glasses. His long brown hair was unkempt, well past his shoulders and streaked with grey. His face looked gaunt, and his tall frame was lanky to the point of being scrawny. He curled one bony hand around the doorframe and pursed his lips, eyes dancing back and forth between them.

"You shouldn't be here. It's not safe. I'm not safe." He stood aside, motioning to them. "Best come in, come in. You might be seen. Safer inside."

Seifer thought to himself, _oh great a crazy man_, but followed Quistis into the apartment nonetheless. He glanced around noting that the lights were out in here as well, and figured the nut must have been the one who turned them off in the hallway. There was one threadbare sofa in the center of the room, the cushions dipped from overuse. The air smelled stale with old cigarettes and he found himself itching for a smoke. The television across the room seemed brand new in comparison, its flat projection screen glowing as images flowed across it. Seifer could see stacks of papers piled about the room, sheets filled with numbers and equations he couldn't understand, and notes with unintelligible scribbles filling their every corner.

Kurtzweil pushed a pile off one side of the sofa, gesturing for them to sit. Reluctantly they did, and the man flipped on one cylindrical light on the far side of the room. He sat in a supple leather recliner across from them and wet his lips with his tongue. Rubbing at the grey stubble coating his jaw he cleared his throat and reached for a can of beer on top of a battered old cooler beside him.

"You folks must be here about what happened to Kennisy." Bushy brows rose from behind the glasses as he took a long drink. "Can't imagine any other reason for SeeD to come and see me. No, not at all."

"Yeah well if you know what we're here for we don't have to waste time explaining," Seifer said, finding it pretty rude the man didn't even offer them a beer, even if it was the cheap watery brand. "So why don't you just tell us what you know, old man."

Quistis shot him a look, crossing those long legs as she tucked her hair behind her ear. "Mr. Kurtzweil, what my companion means is that anything you could tell us about what happened to your colleague would be helpful."

Apparently unfazed by Seifer's rudeness the older man shrugged his scrawny shoulders. "Don't see why not. Odine fired me, so I don't really feel like I owe the man loyalty confidentiality contract or not." He scratched at his throat and set the can down again. "Kennisy and I went on the same excavation several months back. It was there that we found something very important to Dr. Odine, concerning his research." He smiled at them and leaned forward in the chair, "I imagine it would be quite interesting to you SeeDs too. After all, what we uncovered was a Guardian Force."

Quistis let out a low gasp and Seifer raised his brows. When Laura Kennisy had told them about the parasitic creature that had been found, that had certainly not been what they would have expected. Still, it did make sense.

"That's right," Kurtzweil continued, nodding his head sagely. "It was a Guardian Force, but it was asleep. Initial attempts to wake it proved futile, so we decided the creature was in some sort of stasis. So we took it back to the Lab to study."

"Did you discover what type of GF this was, or its abilities?" Quistis asked, lacing her fingers together. In the back of her mind Shiva was restless, disliking the idea of a sentient being subjected to Dr. Odine's tests.

"Not until later." He shook his head, dragging a hand through his long hair to push it away from his face. "We took it back to the Lab, and only a few of us were given access to it. The creature was female in appearance, and one of the more humanoid Guardian Forces. I suppose that's why some of the men eventually became uncomfortable with what was going on…"

"What exactly _was_ going on?" Quistis could feel Shiva's anger strongly now, and only imagined from the look on Seifer's face that Ifrit's rage was even more palpable.

"At first we just took samples, blood and tissue… did x-rays and scans and all that. That kind of thing was fine by us, after all doctors do that to you every time you go for a check-up. After a couple of weeks of that, Dr. Odine decided we needed to attempt to wake her up. We injected enough stimulants into her to wake up a Wendigo, but got no response. Odine insisted we keep it up for days though, and eventually she came around…"

Kurtzweil paused, taking a drink of his beer and dragging his arm across his mouth, his eyes getting a faraway look in them.

"That's when things started to go sour. She was angry at first, but the room we kept her in was secured with a pass code system and unbreakable windows. She couldn't get out. Destroyed some of the equipment but Dr. Odine was thrilled. He said you rarely get to see a Guardian Force as it naturally is… often they're too dangerous to approach, or they're just like parasites for you SeeDs."

"They're not parasites." Quistis frowned, rubbing at her temples. "Please go on Mr. Kurtzweil."

"She got smart on us. Sometimes she'd disappear. We'd walk into the lab and instead of her being there it'd be one of our colleagues, or one of the Lab Techs. This went on for a while… and then one day she was just gone. Dr. Odine claimed he'd let her go. But it all seemed so fishy… and then the new projects started coming in."

Quistis nodded, despite the fact that she felt the man was leaving out some information about what exactly happened between the Guardian Force waking and its disappearance. "What sorts of projects? Was this before or after Mr. Kennisy attempted to contact Balamb Garden?"

"It was after he left. He got uncomfortable after the creature woke up and it became apparent it was sentient. We supported him, but most of us just didn't want to risk our jobs. Cowardly maybe, but we have to make a living…" He looked bitterly down at his beer can and let out a short laugh. "Anyway, a little while after she disappeared we got this contract from an anonymous party for airships. It's been a long time since Esthar has produced them at this rate. After we built the one for the President based on Ragnarok's specs we didn't really think we'd be making too many. But there are dozens of them nearing completion now. We did all the computer work back at the Lab and sent it over to the Factory. It has to be at least thirty airships that were commissioned." He shook his head slightly. "Now I just can't figure what anyone would want with that many ships. And they're all fitted with weapons."

"Are you kidding?" Seifer fairly growled from his place on the couch. "You idiot! You only make that many mobile attack vehicles of any kind if you're planning a damn war."

Quistis stayed silent where she was, but couldn't help thinking that he was right. Just who would Esthar want to attack?

"Esthar doesn't want war, mister."Kurtzweil shook his head, a stubborn gleam in his eyes. "The people don't want that."

"The people might not want it, but I suspect someone does." Quistis let out a sigh. "We really have to get into contact with Balamb Garden now."

"I can't help you there." The older man stood, his joints creaking slightly in protest. "But what are you going to do about that Guardian Force?"

Quistis and Seifer followed his lead by standing as well, the former brushing dust off the back of her skirt as she moved towards the door. "I don't know that there's much we can do. We aren't sure if she's even still in the city. If she was still at Odine Labs we could help you… As it is all I can promise is we'll keep our eyes open. Are you sure you don't know what her powers were?"

Kurtzweil shook his head as he undid the many latches on his door. "No… all I know is what I told you. We didn't find out."

They stepped out into the hallway and he closed the door behind them after muttering. "Turn out those lights on your way down."


	17. The Flight of Dragons

Disclaimer: As usual, I don't own. Thus is the world of Fanfiction.

Author's notes: We're getting closer to the climax. I hope those of you who have stuck with me so far enjoy it.

Chapter 16: The Flight of Dragons

"_Give us a tantrum_

_and a know it all grin_

_just when we need one_

_when the evening's thin_

_oh you're a beautiful_

_a beautiful fucked up man_

_you're setting up your_

_razor wire shrine"_

_Building a Mystery- Sarah McLachlan_

The warehouse and factory district of Esthar was deep within the bowels of the city. Here the glass and metal roads were not as clean nor well kept as those of the city above, and it reminded Seifer of some film he'd seen where the working class citizens were left to live in the dungeons while the elite prowled the perfect city over their heads, spared from the necessary grime that came from any form of physical labor.

He and Quistis took one of the city's many lifts down several levels, until the sun was only a hazy light far above them. Down here the small maintenance bots worked overtime, constantly sweeping away the layer of dust that accumulated from being so deep underground. Despite their diligence the metal and glass didn't gleam as strongly, dulled by years of wear and tear. A man in greasy grey coveralls knelt to one side of the road, a disassembled bot and tools strewn about him, a reminder that human workers were still needed when technology failed.

Quistis led the way down a side road, past a seedy looking bar and a local greasy spoon which had Seifer thinking that this part of town was more his milieu than the perfectly polished world above. Still, there were no houses or apartments here, only factories and warehouses with the occasional food spot for the workers.

They approached the address that Quistis had plugged into her comm. device that morning after a night searching all the factories associated with Odine Labs. The building was squat and jutted off the road in all directions, a randomly pieced together haphazard of metallic blocks that a child could have designed. A faded orange door at the front boasted small triangular windows in neon green glass and the sign above them read "Enido Factories" with a small red and white pinwheel serving in place of the "O".

"Well this is obviously the right place..." Quistis approached the building, which stood alongside the others without a gate or guards.

"Yeah, that's a real genius observation. Dr. Odine can't be trying too hard to hide this place if the name is just his name backwards. Like a retarded monkey couldn't figure that out. Hell, I bet even Chicken Wuss could have gotten that one."

She let out a sigh as she reached for the door handle. "Some people say that the best hiding places are in plain sight."

"Yeah? Well some people are morons." He peered over her head as she pushed the door open, revealing a spacious entryway with a long desk made of glass and metal on the far side.

There was a door to their left labeled "Employees only" and a door to the right with a name and the title "General Manager". The man behind the desk, garbed in an orange robe with the pinwheel logo on the left breast, looked up to see them, his mouth curling in distaste.

"Do you have an appointment?"

His voice had a snooty quality to it and Seifer immediately decided the guy was going to be trouble. Quistis pushed her glasses up her nose to gaze down at the receptionist.

"No, but we're here for a surprise inspection of the factory. We don't need an appointment."

Snooty pursed his lips and let out a long hissing sigh. "You don't look like officials. On whose authority is this... _surprise inspection_?"

"Under the President's authority," Quistis lied smoothly, not faltering as she raised a brow at the man behind the desk. "Are you going to call that into question?"

Snooty sat up a little straighter in his seat, fingering his overly styled coif nervously. "We didn't receive any word that the President would be checking up on us."

"Of course you didn't." Quistis smiled with exaggerated patience. "I already told you it was a surprise. Just let us into the factory, it won't take long for us to look around. You don't have anything to hide do you?"

"No no of course not, however I do think I should call my boss and confirm this before I go letting you in."

Quistis drummed her fingers on the glass desktop in irritation now, and Seifer had to look away to hide his smirk. The woman certainly knew how to spin a tale, something he'd never suspected her capable of.

"Look, Mr..." She craned her head to look at the silver plaque on the man's workstation. "Christianson... If you'd like to call the President and bother him with this trivial matter than that's up to you, after all it's your job on the line. We're simply trying to do ours. If I have to report back to the President that you interfered and kept us from doing it, then I can't say as to how much longer you'll be sitting at this desk."

Mr. Christianson, or Snooty as Seifer preferred to think of him, turned slightly pale despite the amount of makeup that was gracing his face.

"I'll let you right in. But you do understand I have to report this to my boss."

"Of course."

Quistis waited while the small man rounded the desk with a key card in hand. He made his way to the door marked for employees only and slid it through the reader. The access light glowed green, and the door slid open with a hiss.

They stepped inside onto the landing at the top of a staircase. It was made of metal grates and zigzagged down several flights. The door whooshed shut behind them and Quistis glanced at Seifer.

"Let's make this quick. We don't have long before that little piss ant reports to Odine and our story is blown."

He nodded and they started down the steps, taking two at a time. The first landing came to a door that led to the employee break room, and through the small window Seifer could make out a table, mini fridge and cooking appliances. Along one wall various colored robes hung along a row of pegs, a garment which would not be advisable to wear around machinery.

They continued down another flight of steps and came to the factory floor. The massive room stretched out before them, the noises of machinery and voices echoing loudly across the wide space. They could see various assembly lines working, stamping pieces out of metal, shaping them. The humans were checking the work and operating the machines. Quistis spotted a familiar turbine engine and gasped, wrapping her hand around Seifer's arm till he turned to look at her.

"This is it... that's part of an airship." Despite the noise around them she pitched her voice low and he strained to hear her.

Noticing they'd yet to be spotted, she motioned for him to follow, skirting around behind stacks of parts and boxes at the edges of the room. They found several doors leading mostly to storage rooms, and closets, and a set of restrooms. Seifer cast his gaze about, watching the people work mindlessly, repetitively and realized why he could never be happy in such a job. His eyes narrowed as he spied an open cargo doorway in the rear of the room. The size of the opening was immense, and fitted on the floor were tracks and huge rolling pallets.

"Hey..." He nudged Quistis and indicated his find, "Don't you think that looks big enough to move an airship out of?"

She nodded and they stuck close to the wall, staying behind things and darting through spaces without cover when the way was clear. As they edged out of the doorway Seifer bit back the urge to let out a low whistle. Behind the factory a flat plain of sand stretched out for miles, and lined up in precision in the space were the airships-- gleaming in silver and violet, their wings jutting up overhead, their cannons shining and deadly.

"Hyne..." He could hear Quistis' low utterance beside him and nodded silently.

"Everyzing is coming along much faster zen ve suspected."

The familiar voice had Quistis shoving Seifer back behind a stack of scrap metal as it moved in their direction. Kneeling beside him she peered out between the gaps of discarded parts to watch as the group of figures approached.

Laguna Loire stood flanked by a pair of palace guards, his old advisor following behind and making notes. Just ahead of them was the one and only Dr. Odine, garbed in royal purple robes that came up just a bit short. Around his neck was an ornate ruff of purple and gold that poofed out around his tiny head-- making the little man appear neck-less.He drew to a stop and pivoted about, giving Quistis a view of the back of his shiny, balding head. He motioned exuberantly to the airship beside him.

"Zis is ze latest in airship technology! Ve haf fitted each of zem viz heat tracking cannons and missiles, as vell as ze very best in radar devices. Zey are very simple to operate. Come ve vill show you inside."

Odine pressed a button on a device he procured from his pocket and the back of one of the airships slid open, a long ramp descending to the sandy ground beneath. He led the President and others around back and up the ramp, where they soon disappeared inside.

Quistis frowned as she watched them, and looked over at Seifer. "There is definitely something wrong with Laguna. He wouldn't be interested in making weapons like this."

"Who was that little ridiculous looking guy?" He looked curious and she smirked, standing to brush the dirt from her knees.

"That was Dr. Odine. Why?"

"Why the hell does he talk like that?"

Stifling a laugh she shook her head and headed over to examine the ships a little better. "I don't know, Seifer, and I really don't think it's much of a concern right now."

He shrugged and moved to her side, running his fingers along the smooth metallic hull of the vessel before them. "So what are we going to do?"

"I don't know. We'd get caught before we could sabotage enough of them to make a difference and only end up getting ourselves thrown in jail where we'd be pretty useless..." She turned on her comm. device to run a limited scan of the ship and kept her eyes on the one that Odine and the others had gone into. "We should probably stick around for a bit and see if we can catch anything else from them... maybe they'll let some of their plans slip. After that we need to try and get outside of the city, and the message-blocking force field, to contact Garden."

"Right, good ol' Commander Puberty to save the day."

"Oh. Were you thinking the two of us could take on an army of state of the art airships with a whip and a gunblade?" She cocked a brow at him.

"We could commandeer one of these babies," he suggested, pointing to the airship they stood by.

"We don't know how to operate it."

"That weird guy said it was, and I quote, 'Very easy.' Anyway, if we could manage to get it out of the city, it would take us back to B Garden a lot faster than our feet."

She chewed her lip in consideration, glancing up at the huge piece of machinery. If they could pull it off, it wasn't a bad idea. Still, there were complications.

"How are we going to get inside it? We need one of the control pads like Dr. Odine had."

Seifer was about to answer when the murmur of voices reached their ears, so instead he grabbed her arm and dragged her down behind a small stack of metal sheets. There was very little room for cover so he pinned her to the ground, bracing himself slightly above her. Quistis curled fingers into the sand beneath her, ignoring the heat of his body above as she listened to the men descending from the airship.

"Ze look on your face assures me zat you are pleased. I admit I haf outdone myself."

Odine paused in his self-touting when his wrist device beeped loudly. Fluffing his collar in irritation he smiled at the President.

"Excuse me, Gentlemen."

The little man stepped away, moving closer to the pile that Quistis and Seifer were hiding behind. They lay utterly still, the muscles in Seifer's arms straining. Quistis held her breath, staring up at him.

Odine jammed a finger at his device, leaning close to hiss angrily into it. "I told you I vas not to be disturbed!"

He was so close that Seifer swore he could feel the man's spittle raining down against the back of his neck. He suppressed a shudder of disgust.

"Pardon me, sir," Snooty Christianson's voice came through the comm., "but it appears we have intruders in the factory…"

"VAT!!"

Quistis and Seifer met one another's gaze, knowing that their time had just about run out. If they were going to take one of the ships, it had better be soon.

Laguna, followed by his guards, approached the doctor. "What is the meaning of this Odine?"

His voice had a strange quality to it. Out of the corner of his eye Seifer could just make out Esthar's President. Laguna's body was wavering slightly, almost as if he were a mirage.

"I need to get out of here. Being around all of your workers has taken up enough energy as it is. Escort us out the rear."

Seifer narrowed his eyes, watching as carefully as he could without making any big movements. The President turned to follow Odine, who was muttering instructions into his wrist device. The guards closed in behind him, obscuring him from view. But not before Seifer caught a glimpse of long silver hair. He stared, and in his confusion nearly missed the glint of gold that tumbled out behind the man and bounced across the hard dusty ground. He kept his eyes on it as the group of men disappeared into a doorway that led back into the factory.

Beneath him Quistis shifted, and pushed at the wall of his chest, eager to get off of the floor. He was immobile, his gaze intent on something in the distance so she shoved harder.

"Seifer, move!" She hissed, raising one knee threateningly. "They're gone and I'd like to get out of here before they come back here looking for us."

As she spoke the alarms began to go off, a monotonous voice coming from inside the building announcing "Unauthorized persons on premises. All employees please remain at your workstations."

Seifer stood quickly and moved out from behind the stack of sheet metal, walking off in one direction and then leaning down to examine the ground. Quistis stood, dusting herself off as she watched him curiously.

"What are you doing? We have to get out of here…"

He stood suddenly, a triumphant smile on his face and something held in his hand.

"Hey Trepe, wouldn't you say this is one of the controls for the airships?"

She raised her brows and moved closer to examine it, taking the small metallic device from him. With two small buttons and the Odine Labs logo, it was certainly a control for something.

"It could be… But how odd that it's just lying on the ground here. Like someone was expecting us to find it."

He smirked and shook his head, "Nope, someone dropped it, or lost it out of their pocket or something when they were walking away."

Quistis stared up at him for a moment, before getting a look of exasperation across her face. "You're kidding me…"

"What?" He shrugged his broad shoulders.

She shook her head. "Never mind… Come on, let's try this and get out of here."

She hit the top button and the airship that Odine had been showing off to his guests earlier issued a soft hiss as the back hatch slid open. The two of them scrambled quickly on board and she pressed the other button to close the hatch once again.

The airship was large, but not as spacious as Ragnarok. Its interior was all polished silver metal, a sleek and efficient design. At the bow was the control panel, with a pilot's and copilot's chair. To either side were small stations to operate the front cannons, and to their left was another set of chairs with the systems for sensors and the remaining cannons. A small hatch beneath their feet likely led to maintenance areas as well as storage and the restroom.

Quistis wasted no time in moving towards the front control panel. She inserted the key into the corresponding slot after a moment's exploration. Lights blinked to life and the screen in front of her announced a welcome with the Odine logo. She quickly scrolled through the menu. Behind her Seifer examined the weapons system.

"Odine wasn't lying," shemuttered as she entered in the course for Balamb Garden. "This is very easy. The computer does most of the work."

"Yeah?" He glanced over at her, briefly appreciating the curve of her ass as she stood bent over the controls. "Well let's hope the weapons system is too. Because I have the feeling they're gonna notice when we take off…"

She couldn't argue so just finished entering the information into the computer before buckling into the pilot's chair.

"Seifer, you'd better fasten yourself in… It's not exactly a clear path to the surface from here."

He lowered himself to the chair beside hers, resting the palm of his hand against Hyperion's handle. He could see Save the Queen coiled at Quistis' hip and had the distinct feeling they would both be using their weapons soon enough.

Quistis activated the engine and the ship trembled beneath them, the huge turbines letting out a roar as it lifted up straight into the air. It banked hard and Seifer nearly toppled from his seat as the ship plowed through a walkway, glass and metal shattering. He watched the shards of translucent material drop down into the darkness, and heard the shouts of the few civilians about.

The ship bobbed and weaved, dodging buildings and walkways where it could, skidding off the side of one mirrored high rise and arcing wide around another before it finally ascended into the clear blue sky.

Beside him he heard Quistis issue a sigh of relief. Esthar sat strangely silent beneath them, despite the wreckage the airship had left in its wake. They flew over the air station and out past the city's boundaries.

As they started to make their way towards the shore Seifer nearly felt himself begin to relax. Then the control panel at the side of the ship issued a warning beep. He stood to investigate and gazed down at the blinking radar screen. Coming up behind them… nearly thirty blinking dots.

"Quistis... How fast does this thing go?"


	18. And the World will Burn

Disclaimer: I don't own FFVIII or any of its characters.

Author's note: A big thanks to all the readers, for letting me share my story. Time for the action scenes!

Chapter 17: And the World Will Burn

"_The world we knew  
_

_Won't come back  
_

_The time we've lost  
_

_Can't get back  
_

_The life we had  
_

_Won't be ours again"_

_Never Too Late – Three Days Grace_

Squall stood at the edge of the quad, gazing out over the fields that spread wide around Balamb Garden. Rinoa was at his side, her hands braced against the curved metal railing. No other students were around now, as Garden was on high alert. Only a few hours ago they'd received a transmission from Quistis and had been forced to prepare for a battle that they were near hopeless to win. The junior classmen had been evacuated to the nearby city of Balamb, and the other Gardens were on their way to assist. The question was would they make it in time.

The force approaching from Esthar was technologically superior and had a lot of firepower at its disposal. Garden was a school, not a fortress, and the SeeDs would have to rely heavily on their magic as all attacks would be from a range. Still, they had to try.

There was no breeze and the clouds had long since been burned away by the heat of the midday sun. Squall's jacket had been left behind in his room, but the weight of Lionheart was heavy and reassuring at his hip—never mind that the blade would be little use against airships. He felt tense, the hairs on the back of his neck standing straight with anticipation. At any minute he expected to hear the low hum of turbine engines approaching, despite the fact that he knew they were still a couple of hours away.

"Squall…" Rinoa's soft voice stirred him from his thoughts. "We still have a while until they get here. We should go in."

He shook his head, not looking at her as he stared out at the blue sky stretching to the horizon.

"We're not prepared for this."

"Help is on the way. I've already contacted Daddy to get help from the Galbadian Army as well. Trabia and Galbadia Garden are coming…"

"They're large and slow. They won't make it here in time. We can't rely on the army either. How much say does your father even have anymore?"

She sighed, resting her chin in her hand to stare into the distance. "Not much… you're right."

There was a long silence between the two of them, and it felt familiar and comfortable. Rinoa tilted her head, turning to look at her boyfriend's profile.

"I don't want you to lose hope Squall. We've faced big challenges before and we came out on top then. I know that with you guiding us, we can do the same here."

She rested her small hand over his and squeezed lightly.

"I believe in you, Squall."

oooOOOOooo

Selphie paced across the docking bay for about the fiftieth time in the past ten minutes as Irvine watched calmly. Exeter was slung over his shoulder and the long metallic barrel glinted in the low lights. Selphie had her nunchucku clutched in her tiny hands and the chain jingled as she walked, bouncing against her thigh.

They were waiting while a team prepped and re-fueled Ragnarok. She was sporting a healthy tan from all their recent time outside. He reached out to finger strands of her soft hair, needing the small contact. She sent him a sunny smile and turned to fit herself against his side, his tall form shadowing her.

"Irvy..." Her voice was low in the spacious area and slightly hesitant.

He turned to look down at her, running his thumb across the brim of his hat. Selphie was looking down at her hands, fiddling with Strange Vision. At first he thought she wasn't going to say anything more, and then her green eyes lifted to meet his.

"I just wanted to tell you..." She smiled brightly, and he couldn't help but smile back - overwhelmed by the feelings he had for her. "I just wanted to tell you... Irvy, that I love you."

He blinked down at her, the smile never leaving his face. Running a hand over the top of her hair he nodded. "I know darlin'."

She rocked back on her heels and lifted her head to gaze up to the ship stretched out before them. "I just wanted to tell you now... just in case."

Irvine let out a long sigh and followed her line of sight, watching the prep team walk down the exit ramp of the ship towards them.

"Everything is going to turn out okay, Selph. We've made it through some pretty hairy situations."

She nodded, but didn't seem entirely convinced. Selphie's positive outlook on the world had taken a bit of a hit since the supposed death of Laguna Loire. Irvine was about to reassure her more when the group of techs stopped before them.

"She's all yours. Sensors are reading incoming so you probably should get out there."

There was no more time for sweet words as they hurried toward the Ragnarok, their footsteps echoing across the metal walkway.

oooOOOOooo

"Doesn't look like any reinforcements have arrived."

Seifer spoke from where he stood over Quistis' shoulder as she set in the coordinates for Garden. The structure sat squat in the distance, looking like a fragile and beautiful target. She glanced at him over her shoulder, knowing that they didn't stand much of a chance with these odds. She would have been tempted to turn tail and lead the ships away from here, but she knew that it would never work, as the ships could easily split up to follow her and still destroy Garden.

"What's that there?" Seifer pointed and she turned back to look out the front screen.

Galbadia Garden, trailed by Trabia Garden, lumbered up to join their sister school. They hovered slowly over the grassy plains, and the sight of them allowed a tiny spark of hope to bloom in Quistis' chest.

That was, until the first missile hit. There was the low metallic scream of something hurtling through the air, and the chaos of the alarms blaring throughout the small ship. Cursing she punched in one of the evasive programs and the ship took control, dipping low towards the ground.

Seifer gripped at the back of her chair as the ship lurched beneath them, tilting on its side as it skimmed inches from the ground before arching up into the air again. The missile arced above them, passing the airship. It crashed to the earth instead, releasing a large explosion and shooting a brilliant flash.

"What the hell was that?"

Quistis' eyes were grim as she lifted them to look at her companion. "It looks like magic. Odine seems to have equipped the warheads with it somehow."

They were drawing closer to the gardens now and she could make out the tiny forms of SeeDs readying for the coming battle. She let out a long breath and pushed her bangs away from her face, guiding the vessel closer.

"We're not going to try and land, are we?" Seifer moved back to one of the weapons control stations.

She shook her head, circling around so they could see the other oncoming airships. "No. We have a better chance in this I think."

"They're getting close enough to get an accurate lock on us." He scanned the screen in front of him.

"Well, we'll just have to lock on them first."

"We have enough targets," he muttered, his fingers passing over the controls.

"Keep in mind that we have a limited amount of missiles. We want to make every one of them count."

"Oh great. No pressure." He frowned at her and she smiled, turning back to the pilot controls.

"I'm getting a message from Garden." She played it, audio only, and Nida's familiar voice hissed through the speakers.

"Quistis, Squall says Trabia and Galbadia Gardens are going to flank us, we'll concentrate our forces in the front. Ragnarok is coming out to join you. Make sure no one slips through."

"Understood."

Quistis ended the transmission and guided the ship to hover above Garden. Looking down she could see the rotating gold rings of her home. Her gaze lifted to the approaching ships and she clenched her fists in her lap.

"They're within range. I'm firing."

Seifer's voice had her snapping back into action. The airship trembled beneath them as a missile soared out of its belly, sailing towards the cluster of attacking vessels. The other ships began to evade, breaking off in all different directions. However the missile followed the one it had been locked onto, spinning, twirling and dipping after it until it crashed in through the tail, embedding itself into the ship's gut. It sat there for a moment, still and silent and Quistis held her breath, wondering if it had been faulty.

Then the explosion came forth, spewing out of the weapon in a burst of magic that tore through the metallic hull of the ship, scattering debris through the air. Quistis watched one of the wings pinwheel towards the ground, blackened and issuing smoke, before it crashed and shattered across the field.

Out of the corner of her eye she could see the red skin of Ragnarok shining in the sun as it swooped out of the docking bay doors and rose into the sky, machine guns firing several volleys into the distance. The hits scattered across the back of one of the attackers, tossing up a glittering path over the vessel's shields, but otherwise not damaging it.

As the ships fanned out in an attack formation Quistis could make out something atop one of them. She narrowed her eyes, adjusting her glasses as she focused in on it. The airship furthest to the rear was larger than the others, with a large transparent dome rising off the top. Inside, a figure was ascending on a small lift, flanked by Estharian guards.

Ragnarok had drawn up as well, facing silently across at the still, enemy ships. A voice broke through the speakers on the general channel, a strange melodic lilt, clearly feminine in pitch.

"My loyal subjects…"

Quistis leaned against the control panel, staring out the window at the figure that seemed to flicker like a faulty hologram. At first, it almost looked like President Loire, a flash of black hair and pale blue button down. Then she was staring into the strange ethereal face of a woman with long silver hair.

"My loyal subjects… Soldiers of Esthar," Laguna's voice came through the speaker, and Quistis looked over at Seifer, who met her gaze with one of equal confusion. "You understand why we are here now. You understand that the freedom of innocents is at stake."

They exchanged another look and Seifer frowned, staring out at the ships lined up like ducks at a carnival game.

"This is fucking ridiculous. Why are we just listening to his… her speech? Let's shoot them out of the sky."

His hands slid over the controls, punching in instructions. Two missiles sailed from the ship in opposite directions. One punched through the wing of the far left flanking airship, crippling it so it began to spin in slow lazy circles, unbalanced. Teetering, it made to retreat, seeking to manage an emergency landing before it was targeted again.

The other missile scraped across the belly of another ship as it barrel-rolled at the last minute to avoid the hit. Set off by the brush against the vessel the war head activated several yards away, exploding rather uselessly in empty air.

"Seifer, what the hell was that?" Quistis shouted over her shoulder as she guided the ship into another set of evasive maneuvers to avoid the retaliating attacks.

"Oh come on, Trepe. They were just sitting there like floats lined up for a parade. Why listen to that shit when we could get in a free attack?"

"Yeah and amazingly you still missed! Takes a real genius to hit an unmoving target when no one is expecting it," she snapped at him, annoyed, and he scowled in return, making his way to the rear guns.

Quistis' mind was whirling as the enemy ships split off into several directions, firing on them and the three Gardens beneath them. Laguna was not himself, obviously, and she was starting to figure it out. The GF that had been found by Dr. Odine, the one that seemed to mysteriously disappear in captivity, was one with the power of illusions. Her powers had likely fueled her escape, and now she was impersonating the President of Esthar. With a technologically advanced city like that under her control, she was dangerous. But the question was: what did she want? Who were the "innocents" she was fighting for?

Seifer grabbed the controls for the rear machine guns, firing across the bow of an approaching vessel, which fired in return. Their ship shuddered as the cannon blast tore into their shields, slashing black burn marks over the sleek tail. Their airship was bobbing and weaving, pulling sharp and fast movements to keep the enemy from locking on. Bullets from another attacker rained over the view screen, the sound like hail bouncing off of reinforced glass. Outside he could see the crimson shape of Ragnarok arcing smoothly past a trio of ships, cannons sweeping across them. Still, they were outnumbered, and several of the ships were making a break towards the Gardens.

Quistis laid in a pursuit course as Seifer fired at the remaining ships on their tail.

"This is insane. There's no way in hell we can take these all out. Our shields are almost dead," Seifer said.

She cast him a look as she leaned over to lock onto one of the ships ahead of them, fingers flying over the controls. "Since when are you the resounding voice of reason?"

"Hey, I never did anything insane when my own death was the likely outcome."

"I would say that it was true, you only gambled with the lives of others… except for when you were working for Ultimicia."

His eyes flashed in her direction but he said nothing as he fired their rear cannons once again. The alarms began to blare, alerting them that shields were fully gone and a strange calmness settled over him. Garden was growing larger beneath them as they drew closer. The attackers were closing in, firing missiles and cannons at the structure. He saw magic fly through the air, thunder twisting around the metal hull of the lowest ship and dancing over the shimmering skin. Seifer thought he could vaguely hear the sound of a summoning spell being chanted, and he continued to fire as he watched the missiles crash into Garden, sending up debris and plumes of thick grey smoke. As a great yellow bird rose from the ashes, wings flapping, beak shimmering with lightning, he had the distinct feeling that he was watching the end of the world.


	19. The Strong Crumble

Disclaimer: FFVIII and its characters are not mine. They belong to SquareEnix.

Author's Note: Thanks to my beta reader Ms Starlight for all her help getting through the action scenes. We have a bit more of this, but for all you romantics we'll get back to that within the next couple of chapters. Thanks for reading!

Chapter 18: The Strong Crumble

"_Wait. I'm coming undone_

_  
Unlaced. I'm coming undone_

_  
Too late. I'm coming undone_

_  
What looks so strong, So delicate_

_  
Wait. I'm starting to suffocate_

_  
And soon I anticipate_

_  
I'm coming undone."_

_Coming Undone – Korn_

Zell was silently congratulating himself on his choice to junction Quetzalcoatl as he stared up at the closing airships. He stood on one of the highest balconies at the front of Garden with Raijin and Fujin, watching as Ragnarok and the rogue airship that Quistis had commandeered fought against all odds. They were severely outnumbered in this battle, but Zell had been watching long enough to see them deal a couple of crippling blows.

To his left Fujin was berating Raijin on his junction choice of Tonberry. While the slow little GF was quite a powerhouse, there was no way he could attack against enemies in the sky.

"USELESS!" she railed, waving one tiny fist above her head as the much larger man trembled before her, hands held up in surrender.

"But Fuj… I got to the magic supply room last. Not much left to choose from, ya know?"

"RANGE!" She scowled at him, poking one finger into the center of his broad chest. "USELESS!"

Zell cracked his knuckles habitually as he listened to her yelling. The Garden trembled beneath their feet as a ship flew in low, and Fujin fell silent, staring up as a large metallic shape blotted out the sun.

There was a strange sound, like the whistling scream of wind, and then an explosion hit, rocking the structure. Zell gripped at the railing as debris rained down above them, and turned to see the smoking remains of a classroom just to his right. The wall had crumbled in, the metal and glass buckled and melted, twisted into the gaping maw of a smoking wound. Sparks sputtered from the ruins and fires burned over the rubble. He could see the remains of the missile and warhead scattered around the room, blackened metal buried in the ashes of its own destruction.

Metal groaned above them as another ship slid in close and Zell felt fury pool low in his gut. Fujin released a wave of thundaga-- the most effective magic against anything mechanical. It sliced through the air and struck the lowest ship, wrapping around the silver skin like a python squeezing its prey.

Above them the Ragnarok came into view, forward cannons blasting at the ship which had bombed Garden and driving it back. Three other ships were on its tail, advancing despite the rain of machine gun blasts pelting across their noses.

Zell backed against the wall, under the overhang and glanced to his companions. "Cover me. I'm summoning."

He could feel the magic flow through him as he beckoned Quetzalcoatl from his mind. In the background he could faintly hear Fujin's shouted instructions and the sounds of gunfire in the distance. His own breathing was loud and measured in his ears and his body felt weightless as the Guardian Force surged forward, sending the sensation of electricity shivering through Zell's blood.

With a cry and a blast of lightning the giant bird spun into existence, leaving the martial artist feeling slightly dazed in its wake.

Quetzalcoatl flapped its wings and lifted into the air, static humming around him. Raising above the enemy airships his large golden body bowed back as lightning crackled across his beak. The charged particles gathered tightly before shooting forth into the sky, casting a net of electricity across the ships.

They shuddered, their shields flickering as smoke rose off their metal hulls. One ship rounded, cannons firing at the Guardian Force, which turned to plummet towards the ground, returning to Zell with a heady blast of heat and the tangy scent of char. He took in a deep breath as the creature settled into his mind again, and rubbed a hand over his hair.

"Looks like you disabled their shields, ya know."

Raijin was standing near the railing, a rocket launcher positioned on his shoulder. Zell blinked at the unfamiliar sight, despite knowing that Galbadia Garden had sent over many ranged weapons upon their arrival. The tall broad-shouldered man at his side was known for using a bo-staff as a weapon, and it was still hooked across his back in anticipation of any battle they might face on the ground.

Raijin aimed the weapon carefully, leading just in front of one of the ships that had turned its attack on Ragnarok. The rocket fired with a large boom, the kickback causing the big man to take one step back. They watched as it speared through the air and dug into the vessel's side.

The explosion was small, a puff of fiery smoke that triggered similar explosions throughout the airship. The domino effect ripped through the ship's skin, sending pieces of metal flying. The remaining two pieces of the vessel dropped from the sky like stones, one smashing against the roof of Trabia Garden and then sliding down the dome in smaller bits, smoke and fire leaving a black sooty trail. The other piece fell further behind the large structure, disappearing from Zell's view, but he heard the resounding crash and saw the thin pillar of ebony smoke drifting up into the air.

oooOOOOooo

Squall felt the wind rush past him as the airships flew overhead, skimming close to Garden as it fired a series of cannon blasts at the school. SeeDs dodged from the attacks, some firing magic at the vessel before it rolled, wings scraping along the ground. The wings caught one of the young soldiers, pinning him to the ground and dragging him across the paving stones. He let out a sharp cry and Squall heard the vague wet snap of his body being rent in two, the sharp edge tearing through the flesh easily. As the ship lifted into the air again, leaving behind pieces of gore and a smear on the ground,Squall could see the damp streaks of blood on the polished metal. He felt a sick twisting in his gut.

At his side Rinoa turned her head from the sight, her hands clutched against her chest. Blinking the tears from her dark eyes she took in a shaky breath and lifted her gaze to the sky. The same ship was circling about, its gruesome badge glinting in the brilliant sun. Rinoa lifted her hands over her head, feeling the magic surge in her veins as she cast the water spell.

The tiny droplets coalesced into one large mass, and then rocketed through the air to the unsuspecting ship. Breaking against the metal surface of the vessel, the water flew over the hull like an endless river, shorting out the shields. They flickered away and the airship turned to confront its attacker.

Rinoa quickly cast protect over herself and Squall, raising her hands in front of her face as a rain of machine gun bullets bounced off the invisible barrier. She listened to their metal shells clink against the stone ground and it seemed overly loud to her ears. She could vaguely hear Squall's voice over the sound, and realized he was summoning. She could feel the protect spell weakening as another round of bullets showered over them and hurried to cast it again, knowing Squall would be vulnerable to attack.

Clouds filled the sky, quickly rushing in like waves rolling ashore. Rinoa tilted her head back, watching as a dark shadow passed above them, before the creature descended beneath the cloud cover. Bahamut was black as night and huge, his wingspan seeming to stretch to the ends of the sky. Rearing his head back he let out a roar and released a series of fireballs from his mouth. They crashed against the ship's silver hull, leaving burning trails of blue fire in their wake. Bahamut arched his head back again, gathering energy in his massive jaws, which he then released as a brilliant beam, knifing through the air straight at the already badly damaged vessel. The blast tore through its metal skin, ripping it apart as if it were made of paper. The shockwave ballooned out, tossing debris through the air as Bahamut shot back into the clouds with a snarl.

Rinoa turned her wide eyes to the man beside her, watching bits of flaming airship raining down behind him. He stared back at her, his blue eyes cool and narrowed as another ship slid into his field of vision. As he glanced back at the body of the young SeeD whose name he'd never known, Squall knew that he would not be the last comrade they would see die today.

oooOOOOooo

Seifer gripped the control panel as the ship shuddered beneath his feet, cursing as alarms went off around him. Quistis sat in the pilot's chair, looking harried as she tried to shake the vessels on their tail. Shields were gone and they were taking damage. The right engine was faltering and outside Seifer could hear it roaring with the effort to keep them in the air.

"We have to get to the ground before we fall out of the sky," theformer instructor shouted at him as he aimed cannon blasts at their pursuers.

"Well then pick a place and land, Trepe! I'm a little busy here."

She scowled in his general direction as her fingers worked over the controls and the ship dropped low suddenly, making Seifer's stomach lurch up into his throat and he reached his hands out to either side to steady himself.

He let out a low curse as the ship rocked from the force of the enemy blasts. Quistis righted them and guided the ship lower towards the grassy fields behind Garden. Through the front window Seifer caught a glimpse of the burning remains of another airship. Their vessel hit the ground with a thud, making Seifer stumble ever so slightly on his feet. Quistis opened the rear hatch and scrambled from her seat, casting protect over them.

"Come on! We need to get to cover!"

Their ship was screaming and flashing with alarms, and as they sprinted away Seifer could see that its shinning metal skin was smoking and covered in black burn marks. He turned his focus ahead as another airship's engines roared overhead, and he grabbedQuistis by the arm as a cannon blast slammed into the ground behind them, kicking up dirt and grass. The force of the blast knocked her forward so that she staggered against him and he wrapped his arm around her waist, dragging her to feet.

Together they raced through the open fields, the gunfire ringing in the distance and the cries and shouts of the soldiers fighting faint beside the loud hum of ship engines. They skirted close to the building, ducking in through a rear entryway to Balamb Garden.

Inside**,** the parking garage was dark and smelled musty with exhaust and oil. They slipped between the rows of cars and transport vehicles, moving towards the rectangle of light that led out to the corridor. Garden was on full alert, and the lights flashing along the floors accompanied them through the hallways towards the lobby.

The school appeared deserted from the interior, and their footsteps were loud as Quistis led the way towards the front gates. SeeDs were scattered around the open area, most in clusters of two and three. Seifer could see those casting spells with fury as they were fired upon from above, and the bodies of those who had been caught by the attacks. Neither of them spared another glance at the dead as they made their way towards the crumbling outer walls of the Garden.

Ragnarok was still battling the remaining enemy ships overhead, but it was apparent the enemies' numbers had been significantly diminished. Perhaps their against-all-oddsstrategy would work after all.

Seifer lifted his head to gaze out over the top of the half-collapsed wall and stared into a sea of blue. He squinted as it appeared to be moving, and then it dawned on him that the grassy plains leading towards Balamb definitely were not that color of navy.

"What the fuck…?"

His muttered question had Quistis raising her head and balancing on her toes to see what he was seeing. She rubbed a smudge on her glasses with her thumb, succeeding only in making it worse as she peered into the distance.

The massive army coming their way was clothed in the familiar Galbadian uniforms of dark blue, accented with metal armor. Their weapons gleamed in the brilliant sunlight and Quistis got a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Maybe Rinoa's father had come to help them; maybe that army was on their side.

However, she caught a glimpse of the presidential flag waving from the ranks and knew deep down that things were about to go from bad to worse.


	20. Stand Your Ground

Disclaimer: As usual I don't own. I do though own a rather bitchy GF in this chapter.

Author's Notes: Action galore! I'm sorry it took so long. Hopefully once I get back to my dialogue and such it will move quickly again. As usual thanks for reading! And thanks to Ms Starlight for betaing!

Chapter 19: Stand Your Ground

"_I can feel  
_

_That it's time for me to face it  
_

_Can I take it?_

Though this might just be the ending

_Of the life I held so dear  
_

_But I won't run,  
_

_There's no turning back from here"_

_Stand My Ground – Within Temptation_

The first rocket that flew from the sea of Galbadian soldiers to crash into Garden's outer wall was all the confirmation Quistis needed to know they weren't here to help. The war in the skies was still waging and all three gardens had taken substantial damage.

She crouched down beside Seifer in the shelter of some rubble and touched the comm. device on her wrist. After a brief buzzing of static, Squall's voice came through the tiny speaker.

"What is it?"

"I don't know if you can see this, Commander," Quistis began, ducking her head as another rocket sailed past their cover, "but the Galbadian Army is approaching, and they're on the attack."

There was a long pause, punctuated only by the distinctively feminine gasp that must have been Rinoa. Then Squall's voice came through again.

"Understood. Quistis, take as many SeeDs as you can and guard the front gate, we'll see if we can bottleneck them. I'll alert Trabia and Galbadia Gardens."

"Alright." She glanced to Seiferas she knelt on the stone ground, her eyes moving to the polished gunblade at his belt. "I think you're going to need that."

Seifer raised his brows, smirking at her slowly. "Trepe, there was never any doubt in my mind."

As they made their way out from beneath the half-collapsed wall she turned to look at him, curiosity in her eyes.

"Why do you call me that? I mean, why don't you use my first name?"

He shrugged, wrapping long fingers around the handle of Hyperion. He stopped and stood for a moment, watching the SeeDs ahead of them fire magic attack after attack at the ships overhead.

"I dunno. We were never really friends. Trepe seems more fitting."

"We're friends now though, aren't we?" It seemed absurd to be asking this, going into battle, but she found she had to know before racing to her possible death.

He smirked down at her, his eyes passing over her face. "Are we?"

She frowned in return, tempted to strangle him with her whip. She fell silent, tucking her tongue into her cheek.

"You kissed me."

He looked at her a long moment, his expression mild. "Yeah. Several times in fact. I seem to recall you kissed back."

Quistis sighed, marching towards the other soldiers. "That's not the point. I mean, that should mean we're friends. You wouldn't kiss a woman you weren't friends with."

"Now you're confusing me with you. I would and have."

She smiled, unsurprised at the response as she came to a stop a few feet from a group of SeeDs that were looking at her expectantly. Others were approaching, looking for orders and guidance. Before turning her attention to them Quistis lowered her voice so that only Seifer could hear.

"For what it's worth Seifer, I'm your friend."

He stood dumbstruck for a moment as the SeeDs gathered in close to Quistis, nodding attentively when she gave instructions. He shook his head and approached, listening as she outlined the defense positions for the front gate.

She turned to him as the SeeDs spread out, moving into protected positions near the entrance. At this point, Seifer was really itching for a physical fight. Shooting from the inside of a ship really didn't offer much satisfaction and right now these Galbadian soldiers were looking like a great target.

He could hear the sounds of the army fast approaching: shouted orders over the shuffle of thousands of boots.They halted on the other side of the stone wall, and Seifer could just see the high turret of a tank. There was a long moment of silence, and then the tank moved, gears grinding together as the long barrel of a gun shifted forward.

The blast was surprisingly loud and the ground shook beneath their feet as it tore through the wrought iron gate that stood at Garden's main entrance. Seifer ducked low, sheltering his head from the bits of metal that flew off in all directions, and then stood ready to face their attackers.

The Galbadian soldiers surged through the opening they had created, weapons firing as they let loose battle cries. Seifer saw bullets rebound off of several protect shields from the corner of his eye.

He tested the weight of Hyperion in his hands, knowing it was already fully loaded. He felt the familiar tingle of magic in the air as Quistis cast protect over them, snapping Save the Queen beside her.

"I've got your back."

He glanced briefly at her, surprise in his eyes. Seifer wasn't used to anyone watching his back, not in battle and not in general. Even when he'd been at Garden he'd never been much of a team player, preferring to face opponents on his own. It was strange that now he found he didn't mind so much, in fact quite the opposite as it made him feel better to know that Quistis would be looking out for him.

Seifer charged forward, his blade scraping along the stone path as he slashed upwards, catching his first target across the chest. The soldiers had no spells protecting them and the sword cut easily through their blue and metal armor, drawing blood. The man sunk to the ground, clutching at his wound as others stepped up to take his place.

Behind him, Seifer could hear Quistis casting spells and a huge chunk of ice gathered out of the sky above the soldiers in front of him, crushing their bodies as it plummeted down on their heads. Seifer ignored the corpses as he clashed weapons with another soldier. His gunblade hissed against the metal barrel of the rifle the man was attempting to block with. Seifer drew back, watching with narrowed eyes at the soldier held his weapon in shaky hands. In the distance, other members of the Galbadian army were shooting at him, but the bullets bounced harmlessly of the shield that Quistis kept recasting.

The other SeeDs scattered about the area were battling as well, the flash of magic filled the sky as the clash of weapons rang in his ears. Sweat beaded at his neck and crept a path down the ridge of his spine as Seifer leveled his weapon. The weight of it was solid and reassuring in his hand and he gripped the handle familiarly. Thrusting forward with the blade he heard the satisfying crunch as it impaled the chest of a soldier. The man cried out, blood spraying from the wound and dripping from his wide open mouth as Seifer drew away to block another attack.

As fast as the bodies were pilingup more soldiers were surging forward to replace them, an endless wave of navy spurned onward by rage. Bullets riddled the ground at his feet, spitting up rocks and dust and his boots scuffed over the debris as he cast fira at an oncoming enemy. He could vaguely hear Quistis' voice over the sounds of battle around him and only barely registered the words of a summoning spell.

The ice that spread out over the ground from behind him crackled and snapped as it sped a path towards the oncoming army. It crystallized into shards jutting out of the ground like facetted quartz as the frost covered the soldiers, blanketing them in ice. Through the thin barrier Seifer watched their lips turn blue and their eyes bulge out as the attack froze theblood in their veins. He stepped back to shield his face with Hyperion as the ice shattered, minute shards scattering across the clearing. The bodies fell to the floor amongst the other dead; a dozen or more who were quickly replaced by the next wave.

Seifer cursed low in his throat, a noise sounding somewhat like a growl. This could go on forever, and they would eventually run out of magic, whereas it seemed the sheer amount of Galbadian forces breaching their defenses were endless. He heard the sounds of boots making their way over the stone floor as he continued to fight and then the light pressure of a hand on his shoulder. The men attacking him fell at the mercy of a cloud of poison and Quistis drew him away from the toxic fumes, her eyes meeting his through the smudged lenses of her glasses.

"I've ordered everyone to retreat to the school entrance."

The hazy cloud of green smoke was beginning to dissipate and they could make out the shadows of movement beyond.

"That won't hold them any longer. Let's go."

He spared her a brief nod and they took off across the large courtyard that stretched between the front gate and the Garden itself. The space was open making it difficult to keep to cover. They sprinted. The sounds of their boots hitting the paving stones and his own heart racing in his chest were all that Seifer heard, his world narrowed down to that moment.

There was shouting behind them, and the scattered echo of gunshots. Seifer didn't see what happened, but one moment Quistis was running beside him and the next she wasn't. With an oath, he ducked behind the remnants of a fountain to see where she was.

He spotted her crouched behind a few feet behind him, and blood was spreading across her back. She trembled, turned her head slightly and caught sight of him, relief flooding her eyes. It was a strange emotion to see in someone regarding him, but he pushed the discomfort of that aside and took stock of the situation.

The Galbadian army had already advanced beyond the gates and was heading in their direction. They needed some sort of distraction to enable their escape, but there wasn't enough time for him to summon Ifrit. Quistis shifted in her hiding place, unable to reach her wound to heal it. She was losing blood quickly and he could see how pale she was.

_Screw this._ He certainly had never planned out a damn thing in his life and he wasn't about to start now. Ducking out from behind the cover, he ran towards her, sticking close to the ever-lengthening shadows in the hopes the advancing army wouldn't see him.

His luck wasn't that good, judging from the shouts and the barrage of shots that ricocheted off the ground near his feet at least.

He had two choices: he could try to reach Quistis, drawing the attention of the massive army to her hiding place, or he could turn and run the other way, hoping to lead the enemies away. Before he could react, Quistis had made the decision for him, staggering out from behind the tree and casting what had to be the last of her protect spells. Her blood had soaked through her top and he could see the dark ugly wound of the bullet hole below her ribs.

Time seemed to move in slow motion as the approaching forces advanced, weapons aimed at the two lone, battered defenders. Quistis raised her hands, ignoring they way they were beginning to shake from blood loss. The spell passing between her lips was unfamiliar to Seifer and he turned to watch as strange webbed spheres of light manifested, encircling each soldier until he was gazing out at a sea of person-sized glowing orbs. A hum filled the air as energy began to gather, culminating into a small white glow somewhere amidst the smattering of orbs. The glow grew stronger and more brilliant until Seifer was forced to turn his head, shielding his eyes as his vision filled with an endless field of white. The force of the spell was immense, sending shockwaves through the air that caused him to take a step back. Everything was still before he opened his eyes.

As the dust cleared, leaving a massive trail of bodies across the clearing, Quistis stumbled forward and fell onto her knees, bracing her hands before her. Seifer cursed and went to her side, the cure spell flowing from his hands and to her injury with unfamiliar warmth. She grabbed onto his arm, pulling herself to her feet as he stood. They looked out over the field of dead and she turned away, her face the careful mask of a hardened soldier.

"There have to be more coming," she said, her voice slightly hoarse.

Clearing her throat she made her way towards the school entrance and Seifer followed, glancing back at the devastation behind him. He hated to admit it but the scope of her abilities was impressive. He said nothing though, not comfortable with giving compliments. A strange silence had settled over the area and Seifer found it more discomforting than the sounds of bullets and weapons clashing.

The sound of footsteps approaching caused them to hesitate and they turned, scanning for the source. The red-headed woman who strode towards them was familiar only to Quistis, who twisted her mouth into a grimace.

"That's the new Galbadian President. Seems they're all borne of bad intentions."

The woman smiled, baring the hint of small fangs as her golden eyes gleamed from beneath straight cut bangs. She was clothed in all black: a dress with a form-fitting bodice and a high neck with long, clinging sleeves. Her skirts dragged across the ground and tracked through blood as she moved through the carnage towards them. The bodies turned to dust at her feet, their ashes blowing across the paving stones and lifting into the wind like so much smoke.

"I hate to tell you this, Trepe… but I don't think that's an ordinary President."

Seifer tightened his grasp on Hyperion, his muscles burning with the anticipation of a fight.

The woman laughed a low thread of sound that shivered down his spine and had his heart clenching. She drew to a stop just steps away from them. Tension filled the air as the three stared one another down, until she finally spoke.

"You're right. I'm not. In the sense that I'm not human." She smiled again, seemingly assured of her own victory.

Not one to allow anyone to get the jump on him, Seifer decided the best idea was to charge in guns blazing. With a battle cry he raced at his opponent, his sword arcing through the air towards her. He was close enough to feel the strands of her hair graze against his hand as she slid smoothly out of the way, turning to smile at him darkly.

"You're quick but I'm no fool. You SeeDs have been fighting for hours. Your body must be weary."

Seifer grunted, ignoring her words as he lunged at her again. Like before she moved easily aside, this time laughing in his face as she stepped backwards to raise one pale hand. Her nails were long and painted black and they snapped against one another as she curled her hands into fists.

Black energy began to gather around her, manifesting around her fists in the shapes of long curved scythes. She raised one blade to aim at Seifer's throat and he stilled in the middle of his next attack, the crackling energy weapon mere inches from his throat. Her eyes narrowed she turned to glare at Quistis, who was raising Save the Queen above her head.

"SeeD Trepe… yes I remember you. I wouldn't do that if I were you. I could kill the both of you easily but there is no need for that. My colleague is arriving shortly and we have things to discuss with your Commander."

Quistis stared at the woman, the one she knew as President Adrienne Merchant, her fingers tightening around the handle of her whip. She wanted to attack, but she couldn't be sure that she would be quick enough, still suffering the effects of her injury despite the healing magic that had bolstered her system. Gritting her teeth she nodded once and touched the communicator at her wrist, opening a channel to Squall.


	21. Tears of Blood

Disclaimer: I do not own FF8. All original characters however are mine.

Author's Notes: I may have to raise my rating for next chapter if it goes as planned. Just a forewarning. More plot is revealed in this chapter. Thanks everyone for reading!

Chapter 20: Tears of Blood

"_Will matter after we begin_

_  
Another dark destroyer that's buried within_

_  
My true vocation_

_  
And know my unfortunate friend_

_  
You will discover_

_  
A war you're unable to win"_

_Indestructible - Disturbed_

Squall's footsteps echoed as he made his way across the broken paving stones of Balamb Garden's front courtyard. He worked his way around rubble and avoided the growing puddles from a broken fountain. Overhead the skies were now empty but for the streams of smoke drifting up from the wreckage of crashed airships and the rubble of the damaged schools. The air was still and smelledof acrid smoke and the metallic scent of death.

Squall tensed when a small hand closed around his arm and his gaze slid to Rinoa, who walked at his side. He could see the horror barely concealed in her dark eyes as they walked past the bodies of soldiers and SeeDs. He'd wanted her to stay behind, but arguing was useless and time consuming. She was frightened, but unendingly stubborn,so he let her cling to him as he made his way towards the front gate.

Ahead he could make out a small cluster of figures, the tallest one a man with a shock of golden hair who held his gunblade with just barely restrained fury. The woman at his side put a hand on his arm in a familiar gesture. She seemed to be saying something and Seifer shrugged her off with some gentleness, pacing away from the rest of the group. He looked up to meet eyes with Squall, who stared back at him blankly and approached them.

Quistis turned to him, her gaze weary, and he could see blood drying on her clothes.

"Are you alright?"

She nodded once, briefly, and motioned to the two women before them.

"They want to speak with you, Commander."

Though one of the women was familiar to him as the President of Galbadia, Squall didn't recognize the other. She stood just around his height, with silvery white hair that fell to her waist. Her eyes were striking, a brilliant flash of violet against the dark tones of her skin. She was wrapped in a white garment that fell open to reveal her legs. Squall sent a questioning glance to Quistis, who fixed her mouth into a grim line.

"She's been posing as the President of Esthar, sir."

The woman in question smiled, a wicked flash of fanged teeth as Squall stared at her, emotions warring within him. This woman was the one responsible for Laguna's death. The thought sickened him and he clenched his jaw, looking hard into the distance past them.

"I don't think we have anything to discuss," he told them plainly, more than ready to fight them both himself.

"Don't be ridiculous," the supposed President Merchant said, waving one black-tipped hand dismissively. "You don't have much of a choice."

"I don't make deals with murderers. You shouldn't count us as defeated yet."

The fair-haired woman sighed, looking at her companion. "I told you they wouldn't talk. These humans need their revenge."

Rinoa's dark eyes flickered over the women curiously as she stood close Squall.

"You're Guardian Forces..." She murmured the words in amazement.

"Dear child," President Merchant smiled at her, much the look one gives a pet when it's done a good deed. "You're very right. Unlike the enslaved creatures you trap within your own bodies, we are free. We are living beings, you know. We've come here specifically to free the others."

Quistis stepped forward, her eyes flashing.

"What are you talking about - to free them? They aren't prisoners here! They came by choice."

"Don't be so naive." The violet-eyed GF said, her hands curling into fists. "They were defeated by you and brought here in submission. It is a disgrace!" She sneered, her lips twisting to bear her long incisors. "I, too was captured by humans, studied like some sort of experiment. Our people deserve their freedom."

Quistis turned to Squall, but he'd gone silent. Rinoa stood by his side, tugging at his sleeve.

"Squall? Squall, what's wrong?"

He clutched at his head, the veins in his temples bulging out as he apparently warred within himself. Behind her Quistis heard a hiss of pain and turned, watching as Seifer stumbled forward, one hand pressed to his head.

"Hyne... Trepe, this bastard in my head is _pissed_."

She watched in shock as the two strongest men she knew crumbled to their knees. Rinoa was calling to Squall, shaking him as he writhed in pain. Quistis knelt beside Seifer, ignoring the two Guardian Forces and Shiva's anxious stirring in her head.

Ifrit, that was right. Seifer had Ifrit junctioned. The Guardian Force had been defeated before joining them, just prior to Squall's SeeD exam.

He cursed and she looked at him, alarmed to see that blood was leaking from his nose. She tore at a piece of her already ruined shirt.

"Tilt your head forward."

When he didn't comply she grasped him by the chin, tilting it for him as she pressed the cloth against his bloodied nose. She spared a glance at Rinoa, who was in obvious distress beside a prone Squall. The slender brunette began to cry softly and Quistis could make out the wet glimmer of blood sliding over Squall's face.

"Rinoa, tilt his head forward for the nosebleed. So he doesn't swallow it."

The sorceress turned to look at her, her eyes huge and dark.

"Quistis, the blood is coming out of his eyes. What's wrong with him?"

_Hyne, this was just getting worse and worse_. Seifer was doubled over beside her, silent in his own pain.

"Who did Squall junction, Rinoa?"

"Bahamut, as usual. Why?"

"Shit..." Quistis muttered, her mind carefully connecting together all the puzzle pieces. Squall had junctioned Bahamut since they'd defeated the GF more than a year ago, and their minds had to have become deeply connected in that time. It took very little time and effort for Squall to summon the giant dragon. But now that very same creature was trying to escape, and probably tearing Squall's mind to shreds in the process.

"They have to stop fighting. Tell him to stop fighting it Rinoa. Just let them go."

Seifer, still sitting beside her, did not seem to be having as much trouble as the Commander, likely because he hadn't been junctioned to Ifrit for very long. Still, he let out a particularly long string of curses that had Quistis raising her brows. Red-faced he roared in pain as Ifrit manifested beside them. Towering above them all, gleaming red skin shining under the waning sunlight as he smiled darkly down at them.

"Finally! Freedom!" He reached his hands into the air, horned head tilting back as he took a deep breath.

It was then Quistis realized that their attackers had disappeared, the two women responsible for this whole mess. She looked around, pushing herself to her feet. She made no move to go after Ifrit when he charged the front gate for freedom.

Bahamut burst into the air with a massive roar and the sound of leathery wings flapping. He shadowed over them, his jaws snapping as fire licked across his muzzle. Snorting he threw back his head and streaked farther into the sky.

"My brothers and sisters!" His voice boomed above them. "Today we are all given the chance for freedom! Fight to escape your prison and join us."

With a last blast of sulfurous breath he dipped low over the domed roof of the school, his scaled belly brushing against the glass ceiling as the tips of his wings crashed through the golden rings that encircled Garden. They crumbled, clattering down to tear through the walls of the large building, adding to the rubble.

Quistis stared at Balamb Garden for a long moment, her hands bound into tight fists of rage and despair. The school was now half wreckage, the remains of it standing like a wounded soldier, half sagging on its supports with the golden remains of the rings piercing the stone skin like a curved blade. The other half was crumbled piles of rubble and twisted bits of metal. Smoke drifted up from the wreck in great billows of black and grey.

The scent of blood was heavy in the air as it dried ike a violent painting over the flagstones, and Rinoa's murmurs were the only sound for a moment. Quistis made her way towards them, and heard the grunt of effort as Seifer pushed himself to his feet. She turned to look at him. His face was pale and sheened with sweat, and he looked away. She moved to kneel beside Rinoa, looking down at Squall.

The young Commander had blood running like tears down his face. His eyes were closed, crescents of dark lashes against pale skin. Quistis could see blood on his neck as well and tilted his head, noting that the bright red liquid was also trickling out of his ears.

Unsure of how effective it would be, she cast cure on him. Squall didn't move, and though he no longer appeared to be bleeding he didn't awaken either.

Quistis raised her head, her hands brushing over her skirt and leaving a smear of dirt. She could hear the faint snap and crackle of flames from the small fires scattered amongst the ruined brush and other rubble. The smoke smell had grown strong enough to sting her eyes and she blinked, knuckling at them behind the smeared lenses of her now useless glasses.

"We need to take stock of things. See how many injured we have and evacuate to Balamb City," she said.

Rinoa nodded and stood, struggling to pull the unrespondent Squall off the ground. Quistis watched her futile effort for a moment, and then glanced over at Seifer.

"Help us get him inside."

"You're crazy if you think I'm going to carry Commander Puberty anywhere."

Stubbornly he crossed his arms over his chest as the two women glared at him. Sweat gathered along his hairline to trace paths through the sheen of dust that had coated his skin and he swiped a hand over his forehead. He looked a little pale.

"Fine," Quistis snapped, ducking under one of Squall's arms while Rinoa braced him on the other side.

"You're such an ass," she added as the two women lifted Squall to his feet and half carried, half dragged him towards the remains of the school.

Seifer watched them in amusement as they walked away before following. He let them struggle for a good couple of minutes before letting out a sigh.

"For Hyne's sake..." He grabbed the smaller man, lifting him over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes.

Without another word, he began to walk towards the Garden. His muscles were burning with the effort, but he hid it well. His head was still pounding from Ifrit's forced escape and he felt weaker without the junction, drained of the ability to use magic. Quistis and Rinoa fell into step behind him, neither saying a word. That was just fine with him, in fact it was preferable. Now he hoped Leonhart did him the favor of staying unconscious. The last thing he needed was for him to wake up and see that Seifer was actually helping him.

Inside the school was in worse shape than it looked from outside. Sporadic fires burned where wires had been damaged and it was dark and smelled of smoke. A few SeeDs were attempting to put out the fires with magic, while others sifted through the rubble for survivors.

Seifer blinked, his eyes adjusting to the darkened interior. His boots crunched over debris and he maneuvered his way around a fallen pillar. Quistis stepped up beside him, pulling off her glasses to gaze around at the scene before them. She approached the three SeeDs who were putting out the fires, squinting against the stinging smoke.

"You there. Have you seen anyone else?"

One of the young girls nodded, brushing a hand over her sooty face.

"Yeah. Xu is trying to get everyone to gather up in the basement. She wants us to put out the fires so they don't keep burning, but we're supposed to make our way to Balamb City through the underground escape routes."

Quistis moved back towards Seifer and the others.

"We need to get to the basement to retreat with the others. Squall needs medical treatment. And obviously the Garden is in no shape for us to stay here."

"What about the backup?" Seifer asked, shifting the Commander on his back. "The other Gardens, why can't we go to one of them?"

Rinoa shook her head, "They had to retreat earlier. They didn't have as many forces as we did, and they couldn't handle the sheer numbers of Galbadian Soldiers attacking."

"Figures…" Seifer muttered in annoyance behind them, shifting on his feet. He did not look happy and Quistis thoughtshe could see a hint of pain in his eyes before he turned his head away, jaw set.

"I'm not carrying Mr. Deadweight all the way to fucking Balamb City."

Quistis sighed, leading them towards the elevator. She idly hoped it was still functioning as she glanced back at her companions.

"Don't worry. I'm sure Dr. Kadowaki is with the others downstairs. She'll be able to help Squall."

Of course the elevator wasn't working, which was little surprise, so the three of them made their way towards the staircase that was hidden next to a storage closet behind a small cluster of potted plants that remained remarkably intact.

Quistis lead the way carefully as the lights were out even in this portion of Garden. The stairwell was wide but it was nearly pitch black except for the glowing strips of luminescent plastic marking their descent. Their footsteps and the sounds of their breathing was the only noise for a time.

It was becoming apparent to Quistis that Seifer hadn't bounced back from Ifrit's escape quite as easily as he was pretending. Still, she said nothing about it as they made their way down to the underground level of Garden. She turned the knob and eased open the heavy metal door, leaning back against it to hold it open for the others.

They moved past her into the lowly lit room. It was a wide open area down here, and looked fairly different from the last time Quistis had seen it. The large circular room was filled with hushed voices and she looked around to see clusters of SeeDs and staff members. To her left she saw that several cots had been assembled and Dr Kadowaki was bent over one, shining a small light into someone's eyes.

"Over there." They made their way past a small set up of portable generators that were powering the standing lights and other pieces of equipment.

Seifer dropped Squall unceremoniously on the nearest cot and rubbed at his shoulder.

"He looks so puny, but Commander Puberty Boy there needs to lose some weight."

"What the hell are _you_ doing here?"

From the cot where Dr Kadowaki had been examining her, Xu sat up, glaring over at Seifer and then looking questioningly at Quistis.

"He's with me," she replied with a shrug, not really in the mood to defend anything to Xu right now.

Interrupting any further conversation, Dr. Kadowaki clucked softly, stepping around to the cot where Squall was now lying.

"Looks like we have another one, huh?"

Quistis narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean another one? There are other cases of this?"

"A few." The round woman nodded sagely, beginning to check the Squall's vitals. "Xu was one of the ones affected."

Quistis turned her attention to her friend, concern slipping into her eyes.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine. The painkillers are taking the edge off. Monster headache... nose bleeds. I'm just glad I hadn't been junctioning that bastard Diablos for that long. Looks like Squall is in worse shape."

"Yeah, well, he's been junctioning Bahamut for over a year now."

"You're okay though?" Xu pushed herself to her feet slowly, caution in her movements.

Nodding, Quistis watched as the doctor sighed over her scans.

"Shiva wouldn't hurt me like that. She wouldn't betray us." Quistis said.

"From what information I've gotten, most of them didn't." Xu looked up when a group of SeeDs burst into the basement room, dragging along a diminutive man.

"We found this guy hiding in one of the crashed ships." A young male SeeD with a scowling face shoved the little man forward.

Quistis recognized him as Dr. Odine immediately and scowled. "I'm sure the good doctor will be happy to answer some questions for us."

Ruffled, Odine fluffed at the ridiculous orange collar he wore and stood up straighter. Though he was shorter than her, Quistis got the distinct impression the little man was looking down his nose at her.

"I vill not tell you anyting!"

She rolled her eyes, smiling down at him. "Oh come on, Dr. Odine. We all know how much you love to tell people everything you know that they don't."

He smiled, steepling his fingers together as he shifted from foot to foot. He looked like a gleeful child that had consumed too much sugar.

"Vell I suppose it vouldn't hurt to discuss some of my findings."

"Start with the GFs." Quistis crossed her arms over her chest, glaring down at the little man.

"An excavation team I sent out into ze salt flats to explore some ruins found her," he explained, wagging a finger at them. "Ve underestimated ze creature at first, unfortunately. A veek after she avoke she escaped."

"What happened?"

"I soon learned zat zis particular Guardian Force uses her own mind to alter ze perceptions of others, zus creating illusions. Zough she does not physically change or manifest things, she makes it seem as zough she has."

Quistis sighed, exchanging a look with Xu. "She was impersonating President Loire."

"Yes, only since his accident."

"Accident?" a familiar voice spoke up from behind them and Quistis turned to see Selphie standing while Irvine and Zell awkwardly maneuvered Raijin onto one of the cots.

"That wasn't an accident!" She fairly snarled, stepping right up into Dr. Odine's face, her expression one of accusation. "We found your little devices in the ship's engines, Dr. Odine. It couldn't be any clearer that what happened to President Loire's ship was no accident!"

The little man trembled, holding up his hands as he took a step back from Selphie.

"I-it vasn't me! I svear!"

"You're a liar!" She launched at him, toppling them both to the floor in a tangle of limbs. "It had your stupid name right on it! You killed him! You killed Sir Laguna!"

Quistis was almost tempted to let the little brunette hit Odine some more, but she looked to Xu and the two of them pulled Selphie up. The smaller girl struggled, kicking out her legs.

"Let me at him!"

"Selphie, that's enough." Quistis pushed her friend towards Irvine and he wrapped his arms around her.

Selphie trembled, burying her head against his chest. She cried softly and Irvine soothed her, leading her away from the others. Sighing, Quistis looked down at Dr. Odine. His lip was bloodied and she could see the beginnings of a bruise around one of his eyes. She looked over at a group of SeeDs who had gathered.

"Take him ahead to Balamb. The other gardens are docked there. Make sure they hold him for questioning."

With a salute they picked the man up off the floor and took him away down one of the underground tunnels.

Quistis turned to Zell, who was glaring over Raijin's cot at Seifer. For his part, Seifer looked rather unimpressed and had a hand to his head. She could see now that his eyes were bloodshot and went around the cot to his side, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"Headache?"

"Understatement," he grunted, glancing at her.

Quistis brushed past him to go to the small medical cabinet. Dr. Kadowaki was busy examining Raijin and she was familiar enough with the contents to find what she was looking for.

Rifling through, she located the small plastic bottle and turned to drop a couple of pills into Seifer's hand. He looked down at the tiny white capsules and scowled at her.

"Did I mention it's a _bad_ headache?"

"Don't be a baby. That's enough." She put the bottle away as he dry-swallowed the pills with a grimace.

She glanced over at Zell, who was still glaring, and rolled her eyes.

"Zell, your face will freeze that way."

"What?" He turned to look at her, blinking wearily and she sighed, waving a hand.

"Never mind. What happened to Raijin?"

"Oh, he'd junctioned Tonberry and the GF kind of flipped out and escaped. It looked pretty painful."

Seifer snorted, clearly unimpressed with the other man.

"What an astute observation, Chickenwuss."

"Shut up, Seifer. Or I'll come over there and make you shut up."

"I'd like to see you try."

"Boys..." Quistis sighed, dragging a hand through her hair. "Give it a rest."

She felt suddenly drained and weary. Given the mess Garden was in,she held little help that her dorm would be intact. Right now she just wanted to crawl into a cozy bed and sleep. Maybe when she woke up all of this would be a dream.

Xu looked at her friend in concern.

"Quis, why don't you go ahead and lead the first wave of SeeDs to Balamb? Dr. Kadowaki and I will finish up here. We'll be in touch once we've settled in. Trabia and Galbadia Gardens have offered us rooms, but we've also got all the free accommodations booked at the hotel."

Quistis nodded, relieved for the escape route Xu was providing.

"Sure okay." She looked up at Seifer. "You coming?"

"Yeah, I guess." He looked down at the unconscious form of Raijin for a long moment.

Xu hesitated and then spoke up. "I'll let him know where to contact you. Fujin's out rounding up some more prisoners."

Seifer looked at her suspiciously, then shrugged and turned to follow Quistis.

Zell looked at Xu in surprise. "Why the hell were you nice to him?"

"Momentary lapse of judgment," she muttered


	22. Dirty Little Things

Disclaimer: As usual, I do not own any of the characters from FF8, all belong to SquareEnix.

Author's Note: As promised, the rating goes up for this chapter. I hope you all enjoy! Also, many thanks to my beta reader Ms Starlight, for putting up with me while I tried to write this.

Chapter 21: Dirty Little Things

_  
Hello, I've waited here for you, Everlong_

Tonight, I throw myself into, And out of the red, out of her head she sang

Come down, And waste away with me, Down with me

Slow how, You wanted it to be

_Everlong – Foo Fighters_

The sun was setting by the time they reached Balamb City. The journey hadn't taken very long, but to Seifer it felt endless - especially with the messenger girl's yapping the whole way.

Selphie and Irvine had accompanied them along with several other SeeDs. For the most part the others were quiet, worn out from the day's battle and still in a state of shock over the destruction of their home. Seifer's headache might have completely disappeared if Selphie didn't feel the need to fill every beat of silence with the sound of her irritating voice. He glowered at her, but the effect was hardly intimidating in his current state.

As the city's walls came into view Quistis suppressed a sigh of relief. In the distance the domed roofs of the two sister Gardens rose above the other buildings from their docking place off shore.

Selphie beamed, clutching at Irvine's sleeve as she turned to look at them.

"We should stay at Trabia Garden. I know almost everyone there."

Seifer shuddered at the mere thought of spending another minute in the girl's presence and Quistis smiled down at her friend.

"You should go, Selphie, but I think we're going to head to the hotel. We need to make sure we have a base set up there for other SeeDs to check in."

"Oh yeah, sure that makes sense."

Relieved, Seifer turned down the street that led to the hotel without another word. Quistis hesitated, waving to her friends.

"Meet us at the hotel tomorrow at noon. You should probably check in with Trabia's headmaster."

"Okay, Quisty! Later!"

With renewed energy Selphie grabbed Irvine by the hand and tugged him along towards the pier.

As Quistis fell into step beside Seifer he glanced down at her.

"I almost pity the cowboy."

She smiled, lifting her lashes to meet his gaze.

"He loves her. I don't think he minds so much."

Seifer shrugged, dropping the subject and they walked the stone streets in silence. Quistis felt comfortable at his side and neither of them wondered too long why their companionship had become so easy.

At the hotel, Quistis left the other SeeDs with instructions to meet in the lobby the following day at noon before taking her keycard and following Seifer onto the elevator. They had neighboring rooms on the second floor, which was now mostly going to be occupied by former residents of Balamb Garden.

Quistis loitered outside her own door as Seifer slid the card into the lock on his. He glanced over at her, a brow raised.

"Headache gone?" she asked.

He shrugged at her inquiry, raking a hand through his hair.

"Mostly. It'd probably be all gone if you weren't so stingy with the drugs."

She rolled her eyes and followed him into his hotel room, glancing around at the muted tones of the decor.

Seifer kicked off his boots, which landed with a thunk in the corner and Quistis took the opportunity to study him. He looked about as dirty as she felt, skin streaked with sweat, soot and blood. His weapon, which he laid carefully atop the dresser, was also in need of a good cleaning. She didn't want to think of how many Galbadian soldiers had fallen on that blade today - all at the orders of some Guardian Force bent on revenge.

"You look like shit." Seifer's voice broke her from her reverie and she blinked, glancing down at herself.

Her glasses had since been discarded, too dirty to aid her vision any. Her top was dark with dried blood and torn and her hair had long ago come loose from its updo. It now hung in a tangle of blonde down her back and she frowned at the thought of how long it would take her to comb it out.

"I could probably use a shower," she admitted, "and a change of clothes."

"Yeah, well, since we both need showers you could always join me."

She stared at him and sighed.

"Seifer, you just said I look like shit, but you want to have sex with me?"

"I'm a _guy_." He smirked at her slowly. "Besides I only suggested a _shower_. You're the one with sex on the brain."

Quistis fell silent, studying him across the room. There was something compelling about the man, even though he aggravated her more than half of the time. He'd fought at her side today, fought with her to protect Balamb Garden, a place that he owed little to anymore. He'd even come back for her when she'd been hurt.

Her heart clenched in her chest with the realization that they both could have died today. When had it become so important to her that Seifer was alive and here with her? Somewhere along the line she'd started to care for this man. The thought was shocking, but it filled her with a warmth that was unfamiliar. Shaken, she looked at him with wide eyes.

He looked back at her in confusion, shaking his head.

"Hey, if you're not going to join me, then you should probably go to your own room."

Quistis crossed her arms over her chest, her heart thudding inside her ribcage as she took a slow breath.

"What if I'm going to?"

"What?"

"I asked, what if I'm going to join you?"

Seifer was momentarily speechless and looked so surprised that Quistis laughed.

"Come on, you said we need showers right?"

He watched suspiciously as she moved past him into the bathroom and turned on the tap.

"You do know this involves us seeing one another naked right?" He asked, wasting no time in tugging his t-shirt over his head.

Quistis turned, fixing him with a dry stare. "No, Seifer; I routinely shower fully clothed."

He smirked when her gaze slid down over his chest and then darted away when he began to undo the button on his pants. Flushing, she drew her tongue over her lower lip and glanced back at him as she worked a button through its hole in her shirt.

Quistis concentrated on the task, raising her head to meet Seifer's gaze as she shrugged the shirt to the floor. She bent to remove her shoes and then step out of her shorts, leaving her wearing the simple black cotton bra and panties she'd donned that morning.

Seifer stepped closer, resting his hands on her shoulders. The touch was almost gentle, the soft whisper of callused fingers against soft skin, as he inched the straps of her bra down. Quistis shivered and leaned into him, her skin pressing into the warmth of his. He slid one hand down her back, brushing against the still tender area where she'd been injured earlier.

She turned her head into the curve of his shoulder, absorbing the intimacy of the moment. With nimble fingers he undid the clasp of her bra and it joined the pile of clothing on the floor, shortly followed by the panties, leaving her only in socks.

Seifer drew back to look at her, a smirk playing over his lips as his gaze fell on the ankle socks in bright pink with a little yellow chocobo on the outside.

"Sexy."

Quistis stuck her tongue out at him, standing on one foot to tug the socks off one at a time.

"They were a present from Selphie."

"Figures," he snorted, letting her brace herself against his arm when she wobbled unsteadily.

The balled socks were tossed into the corner of the room and Quistis turned to step into the shower, sighing at the feel of the hot water beating down on her. She moved back when Seifer pushed aside the curtain to join her, his larger form blocking the spray so that she scowled at him and shoved him aside lightly.

They stood facing one another, crowded under the spray so that their bodies were brushing. Quistis laid a tentative hand against his chest, taking a moment to explore his body. Though scars were often thought common on a soldier they were rare on SeeDs because of healing magic. Aside from the mark that Squall had given him on the bridge of his nose,there were relatively few signs as to the kind of life Seifer had led.

Still, she could see a faded white scar running across his shoulder and over his collarbone – likely a childhood memory that was long lost. She ran her fingertips over it lightly, then down his side tracing the subtle ridges of muscle. Seifer watched her from beneath lidded eyes, the water sluicing over his shoulders to race paths down his body. Quistis reached for the soap, watching him with none of her earlier shyness. She rubbed the bar between her hands - it smelled faintly of talc and musky like sandalwood.

She pressed her hands to his chest, spreading the soap across tanned skin. He looked at her in surprise and reached up to still her hands and she looked back, her gaze growing uncertain.

"I think you need that more than I do."

He indicated the dried blood that was still clinging to her back and side in places and she grimaced slightly. He turned her so that her back was to him and soaped his own hands. His touch was surprisingly tender as he washed away the blood and grime. It mixed with the soap and water, spinning down the drain and out of sight.

Quistis relaxed as Seifer slid his hands over her, the soap making her skin slippery and fragrant. She continued her own exploration of him, tracing the line of his hipbone until he sucked in a shuddering breath. Emboldened, Quistis moved her hand lower and Seifer let out a sound that was close to a growl, pushing her until her back was up against the tiled shower wall.

He lowered his head to her breasts, kissing at the sensitive skin there and flicked his tongue out to catch a drop of water that had beaded on her nipple. Quistis tilted her head back, tangling a hand in his hair.

One of his hands drifted over the soft skin of her thigh and he raised his head to press his lips against her throat. When his hand glided up between her legs she shuddered against him and clutched at his shoulders. Her knees were weak and her eyes fluttered shut as her lips parted in a breathy moan. She could feel his self-satisfied smirk against her neck.

Paying no attention to the water spraying against his back Seifer cupped his hands on either side of her hips and lifted her easily.

Their earlier patience brought on by the fatigue of battle had waned, leaving them touching one another with a new sense of urgency. Quistis draped her legs around his hips as he cupped her jaw and tilted her head back. His lips caught hers in a kiss that was dominating and hungry and she dug the short tips of her nails into his shoulders.

The bathroom was clogged with steam, but the water was starting to cool and Seifer reached out with a blind hand to shut off the tap. A cold shower was definitely not something he had in mind right now. Quistis nuzzled at his throat, her blunt teeth nipping at the skin there and he groaned, leaning into her.

Seifer shoved the shower curtain aside as he captured her lips in a kiss before easing her away from the shower wall. Quistis pulled back as she stood on unsteady feet, blinking up at him through the thin veil of steam that had filled the room. Water was gathering in beads on his skin and working its way down a magnificent body. Quistis smiled up at him slyly, pressing her hands against his chest.

"We should take this to the bed," she said.

Seifer drew her against him as they stepped from the shower, half carrying her to the other room. He dropped her on the bed, and she let out a squeak of surprise, pushing her damp hair from her face in indignation. He silenced her muffled protest with his mouth, climbing over her like a large jungle cat stalking its prey. Her hands stroked his muscled chest, her irritation forgotten. She could feel the evidence of his arousal pressing against her thigh and shifted on the bed, spreading her legs so his body was cradled against her hips.

The stubble of his jaw brushed over her throat as he kissed at the skin behind her ear, murmuring some meaningless endearments. Quistis moaned, opening her eyes to meet his gaze. His hands slid over her breasts, thumbs brushing teasingly over the sensitive peaks until she was squirming beneath him and breathless. Seifer closed his mouth over hers, cupping her hips to draw her closer so that their bodies were pressing intimately. Her eyes were dark with lust and her hair damp - tousled around her face.

Seifer sucked at the skin of her throat as he buried himself inside her body. He could feel her heart beating rapidly against his chest. He lifted his head to watch her as they moved together, seeing the pleasure flicker across her face. She tilted her head to press open-mouthed kisses against his jaw, her breath hot against the skin there.

Quistis murmured his name as the pleasure built slowly within her and clutched at the muscles in his back. She threw back her head, her heel pressing into his lower back as their movements grew more urgent. Her nails scored at his shoulders and he groaned her name mindlessly. He could feel her muscles clenching around him and knew she was close. Her body went tense beneath him and he could hear her cry of pleasure before he followed her over the edge.

When Seifer came back to himself he could hear the sound of his own breathing still evening out and feel the raging of Quistis' heartbeat beneath, where his head was pillowed against her chest. Her hands were resting lightly in his hair, stroking through the short strands and Seifer closed his eyes, feeling drained and satisfied. It was mere moments before he was asleep.

Quistis took a moment to study him, her eyes following the line of his relaxed body lying spent atop hers. He was heavy but warm and she wrapped her arms around him, too tired to ponder the meaning of any of this. Sighing she shifted her body to roll him off of her and snuggled close against his side. She smiled to herself and let her eyes drift shut, drifting to sleep on a blissful afterglow.


	23. Pause, Reflect, Regroup

Disclaimer: I do not own FF8 or its characters.

Author's Note: Just a little information/filler chapter. Thanks everyone for reading!

Chapter 22: Pause, Reflect, Regroup

"_I have dreamt of a place for you and I  
_

_No one knows who we are there  
_

_All I want is to give my life only to you  
_

_I've dreamt so long I cannot dream anymore  
_

_Let's run away, I'll take you there"_

_Anywhere - Evanescence_

At eleven thirty five the following morning people began to arrive at Balamb City hotel. Rinoa, Squall and Xu had made their way over from Galbadia Garden after a breakfast meeting with the headmaster there. Squall seemed recovered but had the pain pills from Dr. Kadowaki tucked into the inside pocket of his jacket.

Rinoa slipped her small hand into his as they stepped into the lobby and looked around, spotting a bright splash of yellow amongst the muted blue and beige tones of the hotel décor.

"Look, there's Selphie and Irvine." She tugged at Squall's arm, leading him over to the others.

Irvine was sitting in an over-stuffed beige chair and Selphie was hopping from foot to foot in front of him, an iced coffee drink in one hand. She was wearing bright yellow shorts and a pale yellow top with little ruffed sleeves. She turned when Irvine said something, and smiled over at Squall and Rinoa brightly.

"Hey guys! We got here a little early," Selphie said with a wave.

Rinoa couldn't help but smile back as Squall grumbled a hello and sat promptly. Selphie turned her gaze to him, cocking her head with a little concerned sound.

"Squall, are you still feeling bad? You look a little grumpy."

He fixed her with a stare for the briefest moment then looked away wordlessly. Rinoa sighed and rested a hand on his shoulder lightly.

"He's still feeling a little crummy, Selphie." She looked around as she spoke, frowning slightly. "I'm surprised Quistis isn't here yet. She's always early for everything."

"That's what_ I_ was saying," Selphie said, casting a look at Irvine who sighed.

"I already explained to Selphie, it's been a long few days for Quistis. I'm sure she's just getting a little extra rest. Like we should have been…" He muttered the last bit, slumping in his chair and tilting his hat to shield his face from the light.

They sat around in silence for some time. Xu was checking in with some of the other SeeDs who had stayed at the hotel. Aside from their hushed voices across the room the only sound was Selphie slurping the remains of her iced drink through her straw. Rinoa tried to ignore it, tapping her fingers against her thigh as she studied the bland paintings that dotted the lobby walls.

Finally, it was Squall who spoke up, turning a blank look upon the cheery messenger girl.

"Selphie. Stop with that already. There is _nothing _left in the cup."

She stopped and frowned at him, shaking the ice about in the plastic cup a moment. Then with a shrug she tossed it into a nearby trash can.

"I can't help it. I'm bored. Where are the others already?"

As she spoke the front door of the hotel swung open to reveal Zell, talking over his shoulder to Fujin while Raijin followed, towering over the two of them. The big man looked weary and said nothing as the three of them made their way over to the rest of the group.

Zell flopped onto the edge of a couch, cracking his knuckles idly as he propped his feet up onto the coffee table.

"Sorry we're late guys. Raijin had a little bit of a rough time getting up this morning."

The man in question sat slowly, giving them an apologetic half-smile.

"Feels like a bad hangover, ya know?"

Fujin stood by his shoulder, crossing her arms over her chest and frowning.

"OTHERS?"

Selphie sighed, tapping the comm. device on her wrist that showed the time.

"It's not like Quistis to be late," she said.

"SEIFER," Fujin supplied in explanation and murmurs of agreement arose around the room.

Zell snorted, shaking his head.

"That doesn't make sense you guys. How would he make Quistis late?"

Irvine sighed, pushing his hat back to sit it properly on his head. He looked at Zell pityingly.

"What?" the martial artist asked, frowning at the look he was receiving.

Selphie wrinkled her nose and slapped her boyfriend lightly on the side of his head.

"Nothing, Zell. Quistis is probably stuck trying to wake him up or something. We'll just go see. Come on, Irvy."

She stood, grabbing Irvine's coat and tugging him after her though he protested.

"Selphie, I think we should just leave 'em alone…"

She pushed him onto the elevator, leaving the others sitting in momentary silence.

"No really," Zell insisted."Why was he giving me that look?"

oooOOOOooo

Quistis stirred slightly out of the veil of sleep, her mind only half registering the faint tones of a familiar voice. Sighing she rolled over and buried her face against something warm and clung to the dreams that were already trying to drift away.

"… not sure which room is Quisty's…"

She bolted up in bed, recognizing the voice as Selphie's, and dragged a hand through her hair. She grimaced when it caught in the tangles and took a moment to get her bearings.

Seifer was asleep beside her, sprawled over the bed on his stomach. He'd kicked the sheet off sometime during the night and she felt a blush rise in her cheeks as she stared down at his very nice bare ass. She looked away quickly when she heard her friends' voices again. Cursing she leaned over and shook Seifer awake.

He muttered, one arm snaking out to wrap around her waist as he rolled, pinning her beneath him. Quistis stared up at him in surprise as he smiled at her with sleepy green eyes.

"Seifer," she hissed, shoving at him. "Get off me."

"Well, okay, if you want to be on top this time." He rolled onto his back, pulling her with him so that she was straddling his waist.

Quistis bit down on her lower lip to hold back a moan when his hands brushed over her bare breasts. He grinned up at her and she stared down at him, resting her hands against his chest.

"Seifer, you have to stop." She pushed his hands away, trying to steady her breathing. "Selphie and Irvine are out in the hallway looking for me."

"So? Let them look. The door is locked."

She frowned down at him, crossing her arms over her chest. He slid his hands up her thighs until they rested on her hips, apparently undeterred.

"Seifer, I don't really think…"

"Quistis!" Selphie's voice interrupted loudly from the hall as she pounded on the door to the next room over.

Seifer scowled, his hands clamping down on Quistis' thighs when she tried to stand.

"Quistis," Selphie yelled again, surely alerting the entire floor to her presence. "You're really late! Everyone is here already!"

Shock flickered over Quistis' face as she turned to look at the clock sitting on the bedside table. The bright blue numbers read 12:31.

"Shit.." She squirmed free of Seifer's grasp, getting tangled in the sheets momentarily before getting her footing.

He frowned at her as she crossed the room hurriedly and tugged on a robe that was lying over one of the chairs. Attempting to smooth down her hair, she went to the door and opened it just a crack.

"Selphie, I'm over here."

Seifer groaned and pulled the sheets over his face, muttering.

"Why the hell did you tell her where we are?"

"Are you kidding?" she replied, narrowing her eyes at him. "She'll stay out there screaming for me until I do."

Quistis turned back to look down at Selphie's smiling and curious face. Behind her Irvine leaned against the wall, looking apologetic.

Keeping the door open only a sliver, Quistis smiled back, hoping she looked innocent.

"I'm really sorry you guys... I must have overslept."

Selphie studied her critically, pursing her lips slightly.

"I thought your room was next door..."

"No," Quistis replied easily, her eyes flickering only briefly. "It's this one," she smiled, "obviously."

Selphie seemed hesitant, staring at her with a frown on her face.

"What's that on your neck?"

"What?" Quistis brushed a palm over her throat, feeling nothing.

Irvine sighed, leaning forward to grab Selphie around the waist as he smiled at Quistis.

"It's a love bite," he supplied helpfully, before turning, dragging his girlfriend along. "We'll see ya'll downstairs."

Quistis gaped after them, then darted towards the bathroom to examine her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was a disaster, but she ignored that, eyeing the red mark on the side of her neck with a scowl.

She made her way back into the bedroom and tugged the sheets off of Seifer, who glared up at her.

"What the hell was that for?"

"Get up and get ready. You're coming with me." She gathered up the remnants of her dirtied clothes from the bathroom, hoping that Xu or someone had thought to send something over.

"Why do I have to go?" hemuttered, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. "I'm not a part of Garden anymore, in case you forgot."

"You were there with me since Esthar. We need to give a report. Get up."

Seifer pushed himself to his feet, grumbling rude things as he stalked to the bathroom. Quistis peered cautiously into the hallway, looking both ways before she eased out of the door, letting it shut with a click behind her. Quickly, she made her way to her own door, fishing the keycard out of the shorts that were balled under her arm. She swiped it and then slipped inside, letting out a sigh of relief when the door shut behind her.

She examined her clothes a moment, then grimaced and tossed them aside. Glancing around, she spotted a SeeD issued duffle on the foot of the bed. Quistis opened it quickly, finding a spare uniform inside as well as her spare ID card, which would allow her to access her account. Upon further examination she also found a men's uniform in a tall. A little note was pinned to the front, in Xu's familiar writing: "I hope you know what you're doing."

Quistis sighed softly, wondering if she was truly that transparent. Finding a brush and the basic makeup Xu had included in the care package, she went into the bathroom. Her shower was rushed, and she put extra conditioner in her hair, hoping it might help to ease the tangles. Still she combed away quite a bit of hair as she worked the knots out. She dressed and applied a light coating of cover-up, concentrating mostly on trying to conceal the hickey on her throat. She frowned at it, annoyed at Seifer for leaving her with the mark.

Feeling much cleaner she slipped on her shoes and made her way next door, knocking lightly. Seifer answered wearing only a towel around his hips. Shaving cream covered half his jaw. Wordlessly, he let her in then went back to the bathroom, picking up the razor to continue his work. Quistis set the clothes she'd brought him on a chair and crossed to the window, gazing out across the city of Balamb.

Behind her she heard the water running and the soft scraping sound of Seifer dragging the razor over his face. She turned away from the view of the city to look at the rumpled bed. The sheets were draped over the foot of the bed and half-crumpled on the floor. One pillow lay beside them, while the other sat alone at the head of the bed. Quistis picked up the pillow and tossed it beside its mate, her mind running back to the night before. She tugged the sheet up over the bed and smoothed the wrinkles away, glancing up when Seifer wandered back into the room.

He now wore the dark blue uniform pants and the white undershirt tucked in. He didn't bother with the button down jacket, and she couldn't blame him. It was still rather muggy out and he didn't have to follow the same regulations that she did. She sat beside him when he sat down to pull on his boots and fidgeted with the hem of her skirt. They were both silent, and it felt awkward now - the tension between them. Quistis watched him lean down to lace up his boots, her eyes following the line of broad shoulders and the flex of the muscles in his biceps as his arms moved.

She had a very clear image in her head of pushing him back on the bed and ripping that shirt off, despite how many people were waiting downstairs. Biting back a sigh, she stood instead and took a long breath, crossing towards the door. Seifer followed, his eyes lingering on the way that trim little skirt hugged her ass. As they stepped into the hallway, he vowed to pay Selphie back for the rude interruption.

The short elevator ride was quiet until Quistis' stomach growled faintly. She blushed and Seifer glanced down at her, smirking.

"I guess you'd better hope your perky friend brought breakfast."

The elevator doors slid open with a swish, and they stepped out into the lobby where a hushed silence had fallen. Squaring her shoulders, Quistis made her way towards her group of friends, ignoring the half curious, half disgusted look Selphie was giving her.

Seifer thought about slipping out the door and avoiding the entire situation, then he saw Raijin and Fujin waving at him. The silver-haired woman moved to embrace him and he patted her back, feeling a bit strange.

"OKAY?" she asked and he nodded, raking a hand through his hair.

They looked up when Xu approached. The woman looked him over before glancing at Quistis.

"You alright?"

Quistis nodded, taking a seat next to Rinoa. Seifer decided to remain standing, leaning against the back of her seat with his arms crossed over his chest. For the most part the others had ignored him, though Zell was giving him a serious stink eye and Seifer hoped his face would freeze that way.

Xu shuffled the papers in her hands a moment before addressing them.

"We have a preliminary damage report from Nida on Garden. As we suspected, it's bad. Though the infirmary and training center were mostly undamaged, most of the rest of the school is not in habitable shape. We have no electricity, water or heating and air conditioning. For the time being we're assigning SeeDs to the other two Gardens as well as basing a repair team out of Balamb City."

She paused, glancing around at all of them before continuing, "We also have a list of the rogue Guardian Forces that left Balamb Garden during the last attack..."

She passed around a sheet of paper. When it came around to Seifer he glanced at it with little interest: Bahamut, Ifrit, Tonberry, Diablos, The Brothers, Cactaur... Ignoring the remaining names, he handed it down to Quistis, who frowned over the paper.

"I guess none of these are a real surprise," she said, looking over at Xu. "All of them put up quiet a fight when we obtained them."

The other woman nodded, reclaiming the sheet and tucking it into the small stack in her hands.

"Some of our forces saw the GFs head into the mountains behind Garden. They could easily set up a stronghold there," Xu said.

Squall, who had been quiet until then spoke up then. "For what purpose? Do they plan to attack us again? Free the other Guardian Forces?"

"That wouldn't work," Quistis said, scooting forward to perch on the edge of her seat. "Shiva and the others who chose to remain won't abandon us. I think even the rogue GFs would know that."

"Unfortunately we don't know what their plans are right now," Xu said, straightening her papers carefully. "Quistis, maybe you can tell us a little bit about what they were organizing. You were in Esthar before this all occurred."

"Well," Quistis began, "What we found there was a rather complex string of conspiracies. It all began when Dr. Odine's team found the Guardian Force out in one of the ruins. They said she was in some sort of hibernation and brought her back to Esthar to study. As you can imagine, when she woke up she wasn't too happy."

Rinoa frowned slightly, curling her hands into fists in her lap. "I guess it's not surprising that Dr. Odine would experiment on a living being."

"Not very," Quistis agreed. "In any case, she escaped and somehow ended up impersonating President Loire. I'm not sure if she and Odine had a deal to get him out of the way or if she did it on her own. But the doctor seemed to be helping her knowingly by the time we arrived in Esthar."

"He's being held at Galbadian Garden," Zell offered, pausing in his glaring at Seifer for a moment. "I'm sure we could question him."

Quistis nodded and fell silent for a moment till Xu motioned for her to continue.

"Dr. Odine constructed the airships for the Guardian Force. They were able to convince the Estharian Army to fight for them because she posed as the President. Though, I'm sure they weren't aware of her true goal. We spoke to Ellone while we were in the city and she seemed aware that something was wrong, but not what exactly."

Squall looked up at that, glancing over at her.

"She's safe, if that's what you wondered," Quistis told him. "Anyway, it turns out our body in FH was connected with this whole thing. He was one of the scientists who was on the team that found the Guardian Force. He was uncomfortable about what was happening though, so he came to us for help. They probably killed him to keep him quiet."

"What about the trial against Cid and you being accused for that man's murder?" Rinoa ventured.

"Well I'm not sure, as we don't have any proof, but I'd assume they were trying to throw us off balance, weaken us before the attack," Quistis answered.

"That seems pretty unnecessary," Seifer said with a snort, glancing down at the top of her head. "What with the huge force they came in with."

"That's true," she agreed, frowning thoughtfully. "But this may have been her initial plan before she got Galbadia in on things."

"Yeah, what about that Galbadian President.." Irvine asked, stretching his arm out on the couch behind Selphie. "She's been around for nearly a year now and we had no idea she was a Guardian Force?"

Xu shrugged, sitting down slowly with her papers in her lap. "She never did anything suspicious. She was slowly gaining more control over her country, but that's not so strange."

"Yeah," the sharpshooter agreed, "but would she eventually have attacked without the other GF's help? And how did they get in contact?"

All eyes turned to Quistis, who shook her head. "I don't know. Perhaps Dr. Odine can tell us more."

Squall stood slowly. "I want to question him myself. We'll reconvene tomorrow at the same time." He paused then, his eyes passing to Quistis. "And be on time."

He turned to leave, Rinoa scrambling after him with an apologetic look to Quistis. "Bye guys!"

When they left, the room fell into an uncomfortable silence.

"Well... if that's all..." Quistis started to stand, when Selphie fixed her with a look.

"Oh no, you don't get away that easy. We have more questions."

Nervously, Quistis sat again, casting a pleading look at Xu who offered her a small smile and organized her papers.

"Sorry guys, I've got to leave. But I do expect a full report."

The dark haired woman stood and left and Quistis cast a glare at her traitorous back before looking at the others.

"Selphie," she began, "I really don't think I owe you any explanations."

The petite brunette frowned, exchanging looks with Zell.

"We think you do. Quisty, its okay if you just had a lapse of judgement..."

Blowing out a long breath Quistis tried to keep calm. Seifer behind her seemed unbothered, though maybe that was just because she couldn't see his face.

"Selphie... I did not have a lapse of judgement."

She could see Raijin exchange a grin with Seifer, while Fujin declared."GOOD!"

Quistis sighed, pressing her hands into her face and praying for patience.

"I really don't think this is anyone's business except for Seifer and myself. And I would really appreciate it if you would respect that."

"For what it's worth, Quis," Irvine spoke up, standing while he straightened his hat. "I completely agree. Come on sugar, let's leave them be huh?"

Selphie hesitated, glancing up at her boyfriend.

"I guess you're right.." She bit down on her lower lip before taking his hand and standing. "I'll see you guys later."

The two of them walked out of the hotel hand in hand. Quistis glanced over at Zell, who looked back at her, then glanced at the others still in the room.

"Well uh... I'll be going to." He stood, hesitating. "For the record, Quistis... I still think it's really gross."

She let out an irritated sound, pinching the bridge of her nose and gritting her teeth until he left. When he was gone she muttered something unkind under her breath. Seifer sat down beside her, smirking.

"What was that? I didn't quite catch it."

"Shut up, Seifer."

Quistis crossed her arms over her chest and glanced at the couch across from them where Fujin and Raijin still sat.

"Ah, I'm sure the three of you have a lot of catching up to do…"

"STAY," Fujin insisted, smiling at her in a friendly manner.

"Yeah, we could go have some lunch, ya know?"

At Raijin's suggestion her stomach growled and she blushed slightly, nodding.

"Now that you mention it... I can't remember the last time I ate."

"Breakfast at the palace yesterday morning before we went to the factory," Seifer supplied helpfully, standing.

"That's a while ago. You should have said something, ya know?"

Quistis smiled up at Raijin as the four of them made their way out onto the streets of Balamb City.

"I hadn't really thought about it till now, honestly."

"RELAX."

She nodded to Fujin, her shoes clicking as they walked along the stone sidewalk.

"I don't think I'll be able to completely until all of this is over."

They nodded in agreement and stepped into alittle café, the bell over the door jingling softly. The scents of food were in the air and Quistis' mouth watered. For now, she would try to relax and enjoy herself for just an hour. It couldn't hurt.


	24. All Good Things

Author's Note: Thanks for your patience readers! I switched jobs in the middle of this chapter and things were hectic for a bit, hopefully the pace will pick up as we approach the end soon!

Disclaimer: I don't own FFVIII and it's characters

Chapter 23: All Good Things

"_The world seems not the same_

_Though I know nothing has changed_

_It's all my state of mind_

_I can't leave it all behind_

_Have to stand up to be stronger"_

_Pale – Within Temptation_

Lunch was relatively uneventful, and Quistis took the time to enjoy the normalcy of it. Neither Raijin nor Fujin asked any questions about what was going on between her and Seifer, and they weren't as judgmental as the others had been.

She ate her sandwich and listened to the conversation around her. The three friends had fallen into an easy companionship and seemed happy to be reunited. She was glad to see Seifer so relaxed and wondered at the changes in him that had happened over the last couple of weeks. He no longer seemed to be teetering on the edge of self-destruction and she hoped when all this was over that he wouldn't go back to the way he'd been living before.

After lunch they stepped out into the humid air of Balamb City and Quistis looked down at her uniform, knowing that it wouldn't suffice for long in the heat.

"We should probably pick up some clothes..."

Seifer looked less than thrilled with the idea of shopping, but agreed since he was not keen on spending more time than he had to in a SeeD uniform.

"They're not so bad, ya know," Raijin said as the other two trailed after them.

"Yes they are. I'm just glad I don't have to wear that itchy jacket." Seifer replied.

Quistis led them into one of the small shops off Balamb City's main street. It was quiet and cool inside. She looked around thoughtfully. The three behind her exchanged looks of discomfort and loitered near the doorway as if ready to escape any moment. Rolling her eyes, Quistis moved further into the store.

She didn't want to take long so she chose some basics: tank tops, shorts, plain cotton underwear and socks. She added a couple of pairs of jeans and some t-shirts in what she surmised was Seifer's size, tried not to think too long about the fact that he usually went commando when she added a package of black boxer briefs and hastily grabbed some men's socks as well. Her arms piled down she went to the register and dumped the clothes down in front of the petite female cashier. To her credit, the girl only smiled kindly and began scanning the items.

Quistis returned to the front of the shop to find the three friends sitting against the glass windows while Raijin, apparently feeling better, animated a story he was telling with huge gestures of his hands. They looked up when she stopped in front of them and Raijin paused, smiling as he rubbed a hand over his head.

"Was just telling Seifer about that Marlboro we took out near Dollet a few months ago. Was pretty awesome, ya know?"

"IMPRESSIVE," Fujin agreed standing and brushing off her trousers.

Quistis left the shop with them, looking up in surprise as Seifer stepped up beside her and took one of the bags she was holding. He said nothing, just started walking in the direction of the hotel and Quistis had to hurry to catch up with him. She smiled secretly to herself as she fell into step beside him.

oooOOOOooo

The room Dr. Odine was being kept in was a bare dorm reserved for students who came to train at Galbadia Garden. It was small and boxy and equipped only with one narrow cot and a shelf built into the wall.

Because the Gardens were designed for fighting monsters and the occasional sorceress they didn't have any actual facilities for housing prisoners. A pair of SeeDs were posted outside the doctor's door at all times, and a small camera had been fixed in the room to monitor him. Of course, the man did little other than wander the room muttering to himself and yelling through the door about how he was too important to be treated in such a way.

Squall and Rinoa went straight to Galbadia Garden from the hotel, even though Rinoa would have liked to stop for a relaxed lunch at a quaint little cafe with street side tables. Once they reached their destination Squall dropped Rinoa off at the cafeteria and went to the dormitory wing, meeting Headmaster Martine in the hallway. The two men made their way down the corridor past groups of SeeDs who watched them with barely concealed curiosity.

"We haven't questioned him at all yet," the older man explained. "Thought you and your people deserved to do that yourselves, though we will be monitoring from the cameras."

"Fine," Squall responded shortly, moving past the guards and into the small dorm room.

Giving him a nod, Martine let the door slide shut and turned to head back to his office.

When he stepped into the small room, Squall saw Dr Odine hunched on the bed, tapping his fingers together as he muttered to himself. When the door clicked shut he lifted his head, staring over at the young SeeD.

"Ah yes. Commander."

Odine stood, shuffling forward a couple of steps. Squall could see that the man was still sporting a black eye and a healing cut on his lip. Squall observed the doctor silently and tucked his hands into his pockets. Odine smoothed his shirt fussily, standing up a little straighter.

"I assume you've come for your questions, Commander."

Squall nodded, but said nothing. He circled the small room, which was void of any personal possessions. He could see that the computer which would normally be on the desk had been removed. The shelves were bare aside from some dust and the bed had been impeccably made with standard issue bedding.

Odine, growing frustrated because he was not getting the attention he wanted, fidgeted uncomfortably.

It wasn't that Squall was trying to unnerve the man, or even intimidate him; it was just in his nature - the silence. He took his time, gathering his thoughts together as Odine wrung his hands and shuffled uneasily from foot to foot.

"Doctor," Squall finally began, tapping his fingers over the surface of the bare desk. "You didn't plan for this to happen... but you did take advantage of the situation. I want you to tell me."

"T...tell you vat?" The scrawny man was shaking, and turned away to sit on the bed, rubbing his hands over his arms as if he were cold.

"Tell me everything, from the beginning."

There was a heavy silence in the small room, punctuated only by the slight wheezing breaths the doctor was emitting.

"I told you already... how ve found ze Guardian Force. After she escaped... I didn't know vere she had gone. Zen some days later she returned to my lab, vith a proposition. She said she meant to run this city... and I believed her. I always vant to be close to whoever is in power, it is ze vise thing to do."

Odine cleared his throat, tugging at the collar around his throat which had lost its starchiness and now sat limply against his shoulders like the petals of a wilted flower. Squall had his own opinions on just how wise he thought the other man to be, but he kept it to himself, waiting for the doctor to continue.

"She vanted access to... my lab and some of my devices, even commissioned airships from my factory. I vas... delighted. It was the first time ve had manufactured zem at such a rate. I vas able to improve upon ze design I made for ze President previously."

At this point the little man ceased to appear nervous, seeming instead excited - clearly imagining his great technological accomplishments.

"I svear to you that I had nozing to do vith ze attack on ze President though."

"Nothing to do with it, doctor? It was your product that disabled his airship. You gave that woman access to your lab. Don't tell me you didn't know what she was planning." As he spoke Squall slid gloved fingers over the dusty surface of the desk, not looking towards the other man. "You're a smart man, Doctor Odine. You make a habit of pointing it out. Don't sell yourself short now."

Odine stuttered, seemingly trying to sink down into his deflated collar as he shrunk into the corner of the room.

"Okay, so perhaps I knew vat she vas taking... but I couldn't have known her plans."

"I think you did." Squall turned to him, his gaze as hard and cold as ice. "And you didn't try to stop it because you wanted the power that she was offering you."

"Vy vould I do that? I had a good position under President Loire. I did not need to make any deals."

Odine was trembling again now, his hands worrying against one another.

"I don't know why you did what you did, doctor, except I think that maybe your ambitions got the better of you. Suffice it to say you're going to be left with nothing now, at the very least. Tell me everything you know about the Guardian Force, and maybe I'll make a recommendation at your trial."

"Tr..trial? But I didn't do anyzing!"

"That's a matter of opinion, doctor. In fact one could say you're entirely responsible for this. You are the one who found and experimented on the Guardian Force."

Odine had nothing to say to that, only hung his head. Perhaps he was trying to think of a way out of his predicament, or perhaps he was simply wallowing. Either way, Squall didn't care, and he turned to leave the room, the door slamming shut behind him with finality.

The SeeDs standing guard outside looked to him silently and the Balamb Commander paused in mid-step.

"He should be cooperative enough. Get everything he knows about the GF's abilities. Have Martine send it over to me at Trabia Garden."

Without another word he walked away, leaving the two men staring after him in speculation.

oooOOOOooo

Seifer stood in the hotel room, looking blankly at the shopping bag Quistis had pushed into his hands before leaving him there.

She'd said something about coming right back but, now alone, Seifer had a chance to think. Things were wrapping up -- at least his part in things. No longer a member of Garden, he would not participate in the rebuilding, and he'd certainly have no part in any diplomatic relations the schools tried to reach with the GF's. Soon he would collect his money and leave, back to his old life, back to the dingy rented room above the fish store. The thought nearly made him shudder.

But what was he expecting? He'd enjoyed the taste of how life had once been, if for a week or two, but it was unrealistic to think that things would change for him. Maybe he could use his money and get a better place, change venues. Yeah, that he could do.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on his door and Seifer turned to open it. Quistis smiled up at him before slipping past him into the room.

"Did you try on any of the clothes?"

"I'll try them on when I wear them."

He watched her sit on the foot of the bed, brushing her fingertips over the pastel comforter.

"I just guessed at your size. I'm not exactly sure they'll fit," she said.

"What does it matter? We only have a couple more days in this joint. Anyway, I assumed I'd get my money soon. There's nothing else for me to do here."

Her face fell, the brightness leaving her eyes as she stared up at him. Seifer felt a sick sort of satisfaction that his leaving would upset her, and then wondered why he did. Pushing that thought away, he paced towards the window.

"You hired me to be your partner, Trepe. All your Garden pals are here now and I don't think you need the help of a fuck-up ex-knight anymore."

Fury simmered through Quistis as she watched him. Hurt by his words, she wondered why she'd thought he would behave otherwise. That their night together meant something to her didn't mean he felt the same way. He'd told her himself that he didn't have to like a girl to kiss her. The same was probably true of sex. And just what had she expected? That he would stay here with her?

Still, as she watched his silhouetted form standing against the hotel windows her heart clenched inside her chest and banished irrational thought.

"I'd hoped you might decide to stay."

He stared at her with a look of disbelief, and then let out one short laugh that rang harshly though her ears.

"Stay for what? I have nothing here."

Quistis stood, the argument pouring from her like word-vomit that she couldn't hold back.

"That's not true. You have more here than anywhere else Seifer. You have friends; you have people that care about you. If you go back to FH all you have is that shitty apartment that smells like fish. Why can't you stay here instead?"

"What the hell would I do here? It's not cheap to live in Balamb City."

"Maybe you could come back to Garden. We have a lot of rebuilding to do. Squall would probably give you another chance. I could talk to him."

"No." He shook his head, his eyes stormy and his jaw set. "I don't want to go back to Garden. Crawl back under the pity of Commander Puberty like some beaten dog? You don't get it, Quistis. You don't know what it's like to be on the wrong side of a war and lose. The rest of the world may forget, but I'll never forget."

She stood an arm's length away from him, and felt as if she were miles away- watching him disappear.

"Seifer, maybe you could help me to understand…"

"No. Look, Trepe," he said, resuming the formality of her last name. "Don't try to understand me. You'll only end up getting yourself in trouble. I'm going to leave in the morning. I'd appreciate it if you'd leave the rest of my money at the front desk."


	25. Night Falls

Disclaimer: I do not own. Rinse and repeat.

Author's Notes: I'm sorry I took so terribly long to post an update, but I was going through a bit of a block and wanted to make sure I was writing again before I posted. I'm about halfway through the next chapter now so hopefully you won't have to wait this long again.

Note: There is sex in this chapter.

Chapter 24: Night Falls

"_When you feel your hearts guarded  
And you see the break started  
When the clouds have all departed  
You'll be right here with me"_

_Right Here- Brandy_

Quistis readied her whip with a strange sense of finality. A sensation of emptiness filled her, making her feel as though there was a black hole where her heart ought to be, sucking everything into it until she was numb. This evening's meeting with Squall and the other Garden members had brought news. The location of the GF's had been determined: an underground base dug deep into the solid grounds of the Salt Flats. They had previously been the ruins that Odine's scientists had explored.

In the morning she would be accompanying Squall and several others to the site. Their goal was to talk and reach some sort of agreement that would satisfy both sides. Everyone knew that an all out war would be an endless bloodbath, and the only true victims would be the humans involved. Still, a confrontation was possible and they had to be prepared for that.

And while she went that way, Seifer would go the other way and out of her life. It was strange to think that at first she'd been reluctant to even speak to him, and now his leaving left a heavy loneliness within her.

Setting her whip aside,Quistis shrugged away the feelings and stood, crossing towards the picture window to gaze out across the city of Balamb. The ocean stretched out beyond and she could see the domed sister shapes of the Gardens bobbing ever so slightly on the waves.

Beside the window, glass double doors led out to the small balcony with a seaside view. Quistis pushed them open to step into the sea air. Leaning out over the railing she drew a deep breath and caught the acrid smell of cigarette smoke. She turned to see Seifer on the balcony next to hers – cigarette held loosely between his thumb and forefinger. Smoke curled up from the tip of it and dissipated into the air.

He glanced over at her briefly, then turned his attention back to the distant horizon. Quistis shifted and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. Awkwardness that hadn't been there before hung between them.

Wrapping long fingers around the railing, Quistis stepped out of her shoes one at a time. She flexed her toes, busying herself with the mundane action. To her left, Seifer took out a lighter and lit another cigarette. She wrinkled her nose and turned towards him slowly.

"I wouldn't have pegged you as someone who could become addicted to something. I thought you didn't like to be dependent on anything."

He smirked then lifted the cigarette to his lips once more.

"Don't be stupid, Trepe. I'm not addicted. I didn't smoke at all on your dumb mission."

She frowned thoughtfully and realized that he hadn't – at least not in front of her.

"Then why smoke them at all?" she asked.

He shrugged his broad shoulders. "Why does anyone? For the feeling. Relaxes you."

She said nothing to that, only inched further away from the stench of the smoke he was blowing into the air.

The clouds above were sparse and provided only passing shadows from the strong sunlight. Quistis gathered the hair at the nape of her neck and fixed it tidily back into her hair clip. Though they had fallen into silence again, this time it was more comfortable. She let it hang for a while, listening to the distant cry of seagulls and the faint crashing of waves upon the shore.

Looking out on the quaint town gave her a sense of simplicity that she never felt in her own daily life. Today there were no monsters, no endless armies, and no manipulating sorceress. She would forget for now that tomorrow she would go back to that life and everything it meant.

Quistis turned to watch Seifer stub his cigarette out on the railing and raised her gaze to meet his. A smoldering burn in those green depths told her she wasn't the only one feeling conflicted about tomorrow.

"What will you do next?" she asked.

He looked surprised by the question and shrugged slightly, leaning his forearms against the railing and gazed unseeing out into the distance for a long moment.

"Don't know for sure," he finally said, pushing a hand over his forehead to rub the strands of hair that tickled lightly at his brow. "Probably use the money to buy a ticket somewhere, try and set up where I can find something useful to do."

"You won't go back to Fisherman's Horizon?" Quistis asked, studying the way the sunlight glinted against the lighter strands of his hair.

"Just to get my stuff. Well, whatever of it is there. Half my clothes are in Esthar and we left those behind."

"I know," she said. "Mine got left there as well. When this is all settled I'll see if the government can return them."

"It's no big deal." Seifer shrugged, rubbing his fingers along the stubble on his jaw. "Just jeans and t-shirts, Trepe. Nothing worth losing sleep over."

"I certainly wasn't going to lose sleep," she muttered, straightening up with a little yawn.

He smirked slightly, that cocky glint alighting in his eyes.

"Tired?"

She rolled her eyes, hands coming to rest on her hips.

"No."

"Oh don't lie, Trepe. I know you didn't get much sleep last night."

He leered and her fingers itched to slap him. Instead she curled them into fists.

"Don't call me that. And don't be an ass, Seifer. I'd rather we not say our goodbyes that way."

He shrugged, refusing to meet her gaze.

"You don't have to make such a big deal out of it," he muttered, feeling uncomfortable.

She sighed and fell silent again, leaning down to pick up her shoes. When she glanced over at him he didn't look so cocky and self-assured anymore. She could see the same hunched shoulders and bent blond head of a very young boy, alone and hurting, whose only way to deal was to lash out at others. She understood that now as she hadn't then.

"Seifer…"

He looked up at her, his gaze wary and said nothing, waiting for her to continue.

"Why don't you… come to my room? Stay the night okay? Just… I'd like for you to stay tonight."

"Why?" He looked incredulous. "It won't change the fact that I'm leaving tomorrow."

"I know. I don't expect it to. I don't want to talk about that. Just come over. Please?"

Seifer hesitated for a long moment.

"Okay."

oooOOOOooo

It was hardly five minutes from the time that he'd disappeared from the balcony to the knock on her door but Quistis felt almost as if she had been suspended in an infinity of waiting. She was startled by the sound of the knock, like coming awake from a dream,and the coolness of the knob against her hand when she opened the door was a reminder of reality.

Seifer stood on the other side, like a picture in the door frame, wearing one of the t-shirts she'd bought him earlier and a pair of jeans. The socks on his feet were new and he'd left his shoes behind. She stood there just looking at him for a long moment until he grew uncomfortable, scuffing one socked foot against the thick hallway carpet.

"Are you going to let me in or what?"

"Right..." Smiling sheepishly she stepped back to let him in. He smelled of stale cigarettes and hotel soap. For some reason it made her want to grab a hold of him and burrow herself close. Maybe if she did he wouldn't leave.

Instead she closed the door and watched him step further into the room. His hair curling at the nape of his neck suggested he might need a trim, but she liked the slightly rumpled look of it- like a permanent bed-head. She could clearly recall how it had felt in her hands.

"We're heading out towards the Salt Flats tomorrow," she said, filling the silence to distract her own thoughts.

"Why?" he asked, only half interested in the answer as he sat on the foot of her bed.

"That's where the GF's have their base, according to Dr. Odine. Our purpose is diplomacy, but there's no guarantee they'll even be open to that."

Seifer shrugged, lying back with a sigh.

"What's the alternative? An all-out Guardian Force war?"

"Pretty much," she said. "And we know the outcome of that would be lots of SeeD deaths. It's why Squall thinks a peace treaty is in our best interest."

"I guess." He shrugged again carelessly.

Truth be told neither one of them could guess what sort of agreement they would have to make with the rogue GF's. War might be preferable.

Quistis sat gingerly beside him on the bed, watching the play of the sunlight filtering in through the balcony windows across the comforter. She turned slightly when she felt his hand against the small of her back. It was warm and more comforting than it should have been. She held onto it, pressing her own palm against his chest. She could feel the beat of his heart- steady and strong. Seifer slid his hand from her back to her hip, drawing her to lie beside him and she curled into his warmth, her face pressed against his shoulder.

Here and now it felt simple, the two of them, and she wondered why it had to be complicated at all.

When he drew her atop him she didn't resist and turned to press her face into the hollow of his throat, her lips rubbing against his pulse line. A soft groan rumbled through him and he slid his hands down her back to rest against the curve of her ass.

Quistis shifted, tucking one leg between both of his. He threaded one hand into her hair, tugging until she tilted her head back so that their lips could meet in a deep kiss. His teeth scraped against her lower lip lightly and Quistis slid her hands up under his shirt to stroke over his bare skin.

Sitting up to straddle his waist she tugged the shirt up over his head and dropped it to the floor. Seifer's hands skimmed up over her sides, cupping her breasts through the thin cotton top she wore.

She leaned in close to press a kiss against his chest, her fingers tracing a scar along his ribcage. He trembled at her touch and she smiled. Seifer grasped her hips to press her close to him and she moaned, feeling the evidence of his arousal between the clothes that still separated them.

With one hand he pulled her shirt off and the reached back to unhook the simple white bra she wore beneath it. Quistis reached down to undo his jeans with nimble fingers, which brushed against him through the black fabric of his boxer briefs. Seifer half-growled at her, rolling them on the bed to pin her beneath him. Her bare breasts pressed against his chest as she arched her back, craving skin-to-skin contact.

Seifer's mouth claimed hers in a hungry kiss. She could feel the faint stubble on his chin rub against her jaw line as he traced a path with his lips down her throat. His breath was hot against the swell of her breast,but she shivered as her skin flushed. His tongue teased over her nipple and she cried out, her hands fisting in his hair.

Quistis hardly noticed that he'd worked her free of her pants and was easing her panties over her hips when he lifted his head to smile at her slowly, his eyes dark with lust. She smiled back, affection swelling within her as the passion simmered under her skin.

Seifer helped her to get his jeans off, and it wasn't long before they were both unclothed, pressed intimately together. Quistis wrapped her arms around his shoulders, holding him against her and, as he was cradled between her legs, for a moment time seemed to stand still.

Then he was inside her and time lost all sense of meaning. She clutched at his back, their bodies moving together as if they always had. Seifer pressed open-mouthed kisses across her shoulders and against the sensitive skin behind her ear, murmuring something she couldn't understand and didn't try to. He slid one hand up her thigh to her hip, guiding her to wrap her leg around his waist.

Quistis could feel the pressure building within her body and her nails scratched at his back as they began to move more urgently. Her muscles clamped down around him and Seifer groaned her name loudly, following her towards a release that robbed him of all awareness.

Seifer's heavy breathing in her ear brought Quistis back to herself, and she blinked slowly as if to clear her mind with the simple act. Their heartbeats still raged together, pounding a matched rhythm against her chest. Quistis let out a long breath, nuzzling her head against his. No matter what she told herself, it wasn't just sex between them. If it was she never would have gone to bed with him in the first place. She wasn't that kind of girl.

Seifer shifted her in his arms, rolling onto his back, and she turned to curl against him for warmth. Neither of them said anything, but they didn't sleep either – too caught in their own thoughts of what might happen tomorrow- Quistis trying to deny that she didn't want to let him go and Seifer trying to deny that he would regret leaving.

Sleep fell across them eventually, as night fell across the city.


	26. Negotiations

Disclaimer: I do not own FF8 or its characters.

Author's Note: Okay well I took longer than expected cause I finished this fic, so I'm posting all three remaining parts today. Hope you enjoy. Also please note that its left open for a possible sequel so watch out!

Chapter 25: Negotiations

"_So we rode down to the river where the toiling ghosts strain  
for their curses to be broken…  
We'd go underneath the arches where the witches are in there saying  
There are ghost towns in the ocean…  
The ocean…"_

_Cemeteries of London- Coldplay_

Irvine yawned, readjusting his hat as he stretched his lanky form out in the co-pilot chair of Ragnarok. He tilted his head slightly, watching his girlfriend's legs sticking out from under the front control panel. He smiled to himself at her affinity for short skirts as he listened to her soft mutters and the sound of her tools scraping against metal and wiring. Occasionally she would reach a hand out, blindly feeling around on the floor until he pushed her tool box closer with the toe of his boot so that she could find what she needed.

They were scheduled to fly out this morning in a little over an hour, and though Trabia Garden's techs had done a pretty sound repair job on the airship there were certain things that Selphie was particular about. She'd coaxed him out of bed early that morning to come and check on the ship herself. At five in the morning, he'd been sorely tempted to roll back over and go to sleep. But he figured he could catch some shut eye while she fiddled with the controls.

His eyes closed as he listened to the sounds of Selphie working and he drifted in a place somewhere between wakeness and slumber for a time. The artificial light of the ship washed over his closed lids and he tilted the brim of his hat further down to shade them.

Peacefulness settled over him and he allowed himself to linger in it, aware that peace was often fleeting in a world full of monsters.

Some time passed this way before Selphie slid out from under the control panel. She shimmied forward before sitting up, tugging at the hem of her short yellow dress. She looked up at the peaceful dozing face of her boyfriend- half concealed behind his hat and the long bangs that fell along the side of his cheek. Dropping her tools into the toolbox she closed it with some force, startling Irvine so that he sat up straight and stiff as a board. She stifled a giggle, pushing herself to her feet.

"I'm all done here."

Irvine stretched, arching his back with a groan.

"How long do we have till the others get here?" he asked.

"Maybe twenty minutes. Long enough to grab a bagel or something, but not much else."

Nodding, he stood as well and pressed the button to lower the ship's ramp. Selphie tucked the toolbox away in the small storage compartment before following him off Ragnarok. Her small hand slipped into his and Irvine smiled, giving it a squeeze. They made their way towards Trabia Garden's front gates where the school was tightly tethered to one of Balamb City's jutting concrete piers. The Garden bobbed slightly with the tempo of the waves rolling in. Irvine's long legs spanned the gap to the pier in one step and he reached up to lift his girlfriend down to steady ground. Selphie tucked herself under his arm and the two made their way towards a nearby oceanside café.

oooOOOOooo

Squall surveyed the gleaming red and silver hull of the airship that currently sat in Trabia Garden's large docking bay. The ramp was lowered and he could hear Selphie's voice echoing across the vast room. Rinoa walked at his heels, her footsteps clicking across the polished stone floor. Her presence these days was constant and comforting. He wouldn't admit he wanted her there since she was technically still a civilian and really shouldn't be coming along on a mission. Although, right now he didn't exactly have SeeDs to spare in any case.

After this hopefully successful visit to talk with the GFs was completed, there would still be a monumental task ahead of them. B Garden was trashed and would have to be rebuilt nearly from the ground up. The numbers of dead were staggering and they still had yet to account for Laguna's disappearance,their relationship with Esthar would eventually disintegrate, so he doubted the city would be providing them with the latest technologynor even help to rebuild their mobile school. These thoughts weighed on Squall with an unbearable pressure that he doubted was soon to be lifted.

It wasn't time to be thinking about these things just yet. If peace couldn't be negotiated today there may not even be time to rebuild.

He and Rinoa boarded the ramp to the airship together and Selphie stopped chattering to see who was arriving. She smiled and waved a greeting that only Rin returned. Squall could see that aside from the petite pilot Irvine and Zell were also already present. He made his way towards the main controls checking the course on the small screen. Everything was set for departure.

He turned away when he heard footfalls on the ramp again. Quistis approached but Squall scowled when he saw Seifer over her shoulder. The other man returned his look half-heartedly, almost as if he was resigned to be there.

Squall approached him, his hand curling into a fist in response to the urge to draw his weapon. The ex-Knight had proven he was on their side this time, but that didn't mean Squall was going to trust him.

"I didn't expect to see you here. I'm sure Quistis told you that this is a mission of peace."

"No offense, Commander," Seifer began with a smirk that said otherwise. "But intentions aside, there is no guarantee that this mission won't just be another battle."

Squall knew he was right, and that annoyed him more.

"Why are you here, Seifer?"

"Let's just say I want to see this through to the end."

Squall knew there was more to it than that, but accepted the answer anyway, mostly because the rest of it really wasn't his business.

"Just don't cause any trouble," he warned, moving to join Selphie and Irvine at the front of the ship where they were readying for take-off.

Seifer only rolled his eyes and moved to sit beside Quistis near the back. Rinoa was leaning across the aisle talking to her and she paused to offer him a warm smile. Zell was seated in front of them and turned to glare at him, looking somewhat like a petulant child.

"You're like a bad penny."

"Really Chickenwuss, that's a good one… it almost hurts… oh wait, no."

He could see Zell's tattooed face twitch in irritation, but he turned away, bored with him, and looked out the small window as Ragnarok shuddered to life with a low hum of its powerful engines. The airship lifted up, hovering over the concrete floor of the docking bay before arching gracefully through the large open doors and into the sky. Seifer watched as Balamb City grew smaller below them. Then, the ship banked, coming around to fly out over the ocean toward their destination.

oooOOOOooo

The Salt Flats stretched out before them like some white-washed endless landscape - a parched desert, bare of foliage and of life except for the monsters that subsided off of consuming one another.

Selphie had brought them in to land not far from the coordinates Dr. Odine had provided them with. Though they had been told that the ruins were not far, there was no sign of any building or even the remains of one as they looked out into the distance.

The group gathered at the foot of the ship's ramp, boots crunching onthe dry packed salt that stretched out like white sand, staining their soles. The sun hung high in the clear sky, casting its light in a wash over the monochromatic landscape. There was no breeze today, and the dry heat remained with no shadows stretching across the ground to offer any relief.

Quistis moved finally to take point, plugging the coordinates into her comm. device. When she started forward the others moved to follow, their feet not even leaving tracks on the ground.

The heat was so dry that Seifer felt his sweat evaporating before it settled on his skin. His throat was dry and he swallowed to find his voice. Beside him Quistis alternated between staring down at her comm. unit and gazing searchingly at the land before them. When she came to a sudden stop he glanced around, wondering if she'd seen something he'd missed; but the ground lay flat and unbroken before them.

"I don't understand," she said. "These are the coordinates."

He shrugged slightly, glancing left and right.

"There's nothing here. Maybe that crazy little guy lied to you."

"You mean we came all the way out here for nothing!?" Zell's complaint was overly loud and he glared accusingly at Seifer as if it were somehow all _his _fault.

"Don't be so hasty," Squall said, stepping around them. "It's probably hidden. I doubt they've advertised the location."

The seven of them spread out, searching the area with careful eyes. There were no rocks or plants to serve as any sort of cover so Seifer began to search the ground for inconsistencies -a patch of salt that wasn't packed down as firmly as the rest.

As they searched the area, Quistis spared the occasional glance in Seifer's direction. She still wondered why he had chosen to remain. In the morning when she'd emerged from her shower, she'd found him dressed and sitting at the foot of her bed, patiently asking her what time they'd be leaving.

Baffled she'd dumbly replied, not asking why he'd changed his mind. He'd offered no explanation. Their avoidance of the topic was because neither of them wanted to ponder the significance of his decision to stay.

She was jarred from her thoughts at the sound of a loud "Ooof!" as Zell, who had been wandering about five yards away from her, tripped on something and fell- sprawling to his stomach on the ground.

They all turned to stare at him, Seifer snickering as Zell groaned and pushed himself to his feet. Quistis couldn't help but be amused as she watched him. The entire front of his shirt and shorts were coated in a layer of white salt so fine it looked like dust. The salt was even caked to the side of his face and she watched as he leaned down to rub it from his now reddened knees, wincing slightly.

"Are you okay Zell?" Selphie asked, moving to wipe the dust from his cheek. She only succeeded in smearing it across his face and he frowned at her, ducking away from her reaching hand.

"Yeah I'm fine. Tripped over something."

Quistis was already scanning the area near him, and her blue eyes landed on a small seam in the ground, from which a small sharp edge jutted up out of the salt. White and porous, it would have looked like a rock were it not for the barely visible line in the silty salt that Zell's foot jarring against the protrusion had uncovered.

Wordlessly she moved to slip her fingers into the seam, tugging with some force. With a rattle the trap door hefted upwards, heavy from the salt and silt piled atop it. The dust rained down below as well, trickling away to disappear down into the darkened hole she had revealed. She released the door and it fell fully open. The air the that drifted up was cool and had a slightly musty smell. The others gathered around, peering down into the darkness.

The light that filtered down from above revealed a ladder tucked against the side of the deep and narrow entrance. Rinoa casted a weak fira spell, letting the flame drift down into the darkness. It fell at least a good twenty feet, and they watched to see if it cast its light on anything other than the sides of the hole.

When the spell extinguished, Squall stepped forward, motioning for Quistis to move aside.

"Follow me down. Irvine, bring up the rear."

When the sharpshooter nodded, Squall turned and began his descent, moving down out of the heat of the sun and into the cool darkness. Rinoa followed and soon they were all making their way underground.

At the bottom the ground was hard beneath their feet and the cavern was wider, branching out in three directions- tunnels that lead away from the entrance. Each path was lit by narrow blue strips of light that were inset into the ceilings.

"We'll have to split up," Squall said, pitching his voice low in the echoing cavern. "Selphie and Irvine will go left. Quistis and Zell take Seifer right. Rinoa and I will take the center path."

Seifer's jaw twitched as he glanced down at Zell, who was glaring up at him withcontempt. Quistis sighed, feeling once again like the harried instructor she'd once been as she stepped between the two. Grabbing Seifer by the arm, she dragged him towards the right path, Zell trailing behind with some reluctance.

The three walked along in silence for some time, Zell's fists clenching and unclenching as Seifer valiantly ignored him. Or perhaps he only ignored him because he was aware that Zell only wanted a reaction. Quistis, for her part, was grateful that they were quiet as she scanned the area ahead of them. The soft hum of the lights above them was the only sound aside from their footsteps. The whole hallway was made out of carved sandstone. The walls were smooth but punctuated now and again by small metal fixtures that looked like old-fashioned lanterns. The metal was tarnished now though, and the oil inside had long evaporated away.

The lights that now illuminated the halls were clearly new additions, and Quistis could see where the rock had been clumsily cut away to put them into place. It was rather a shame that ruins which had otherwise been in such good shape had been desecrated. The hallway seemed to continue on endlessly in a straight line. No other halls bisected it and there were no openings of any sort. It left her wondering what exactly these ruins had once been used for.

"Why build a hallway that goes on forever?" Seifer asked, seeming to echo her thoughts.

"I'm not sure. Perhaps whatever we find at the end will give us some clue."

"Unless all we find is a bunch of pissed off Guardian Forces."

She sighed but didn't disagree. If they came across the GFs and they were not open to negotiating a peace treaty… she wasn't sure how much of a chance they stood. Seifer and Squall were still un-juctioned, unable to take a Guardian Force because of the damage caused when the last ones broke free. Dr. Kadowaki had surmised that the injuries would be fully healed by the end of the week, but until then they were without the ability to summon.

Seifer didn't mind, as he'd rarely used GFs before. He preferred his weapon to magic anyway; she guessed that there was something more satisfying about that sort of combat for him. She, on the other hand, was very comfortable with magic.

Quistis could see something ahead- the end of the tunnel. It appeared to be a door, as there was some light filtering from underneath. The others had seen it as well, for Zell made a pointing motion as he released a sigh of relief.

As they approached they slowed, their footsteps whispering over the stone floor. The door was also a newer addition to the ruins. Wedged into the stone opening was a metal frame what was socketed into place. A glowing panel on the right side of the frame contained a number pad.

"Great." Quistis sighed. "We need an entrance code."

Before she could move to examine it better, Seifer pushed her aside. She saw the ripple of a thunder spell leaving his fingers before the panel shorted out, bursting forth sparks and issuing smoke. She opened her mouth to berate him when the door slid open with a soft hiss.

They peered into the room, finding it packed with stuff but empty of any signs of life. Scowling, Quistis turned to Seifer.

"You had no idea what that spell would have done. It could have very well locked us out."

He shrugged, stepping into the room.

"I took a chance. Your way would have taken too long."

She rolled her eyes and followed him, Zell hovering behind her. The same inset lights were present in here. Though the room was also made of stone she could see that the walls were decorated with elaborately carved scenes. She paused to study one: the image of a man wearing a crown and raising his arms above him. Over his head floated a creature with horns and wings, its head thrown back in a roar. Quistis' jaw dropped as she stared at the carving.

"He's summoning."

Zell moved to her side to take a look.

"Wow. You're right."

Seifer snorted from his place across the room.

"A little naïve to assume that no one before SeeD ever had the ability to use a GF."

The conversation died off when Quistis moved towards the altar at the center of the room. It came up about waist high and there were grooves carved into its top in intricate designs. Similar grooves were carved at the base of the altar, running down to a small grate in the floor.

"Looks like this place was once used for sacrifice…" she murmured.

Despite the altar and the décor, everything else in the chamber was of a more modern design. Several metal tables had been set up along two of the walls. They were piled with computers and communication devices. Another table was littered with spare parts and stacks of papers.

"Well, it looks like this is how they've been keeping in contact with Galbadia."

She ran her fingers over the communication equipment just as her own comm. device beeped once before issuing Squall's voice.

"Quistis, Selphie and Irvine have located the GFs and they've agreed to talk. Meet us at the room down the West passage."

"Understood, Commander." She closed the line then turned to her companions. "Let's go."

oooOOOOooo

This other room they were now crowded into, along with the two familiar female Guardian Forces, was very different from the rest of the underground ruins. Here the stone walls were worn away, crumbling as if they were as insubstantial as dust. The carvings had long been gone and only weathered hints of what may have once been lovely works of art remained.

A map was hung along the back wall- carefully detailed with geographic information. Red marks were slashed across it in several places. Below the map was an Estharian computer terminal that was currently on- emitting a low light. Other than that the room was virtually empty.

The two GFs stood on either side of the computer, looking much the same as the last time they had seen them. The black cloak the Merchant wore (Seifer liked to think of her as the merchant of death) was a stark contrast to her white skin and red hair. She stared silently at them, her eyes like liquid gold. Seifer longed to see them ooze out of their sockets like the congealed blood of the SeeDs still staining Garden's flagstones.

He stood close enough to Quistis that he could smell her shampoo and that lotion she rubbed on after her shower. Half-shielded by her, he slid his hand down over the curve of her hip to rest lightly on her ass. Quistis stiffened and her elbow shot out, catching him between the ribs so that he let out a loud wheeze of pain. Several of the room's occupants turned to stare at him and he glared back. When he straightened up, he curled his hand around the butt of his gunblade. It hung at his hip and he felt comforted by the weight of it pressing against his thigh as he tried to ignore the ache in his ribs.

Squall was talking, though Seifer only heard half of anything that was said. Squall looked tense, the set of his spine rigid, but Seifer guessed that his eyes were as hard and blank as ice. It was as if the man was carved out of marble- a statue that spoke, a living doll. Seifer wondered how anyone could go through life tamping down their emotions so much that they stifled every part of themselves.

He glanced around the room. Zell was leaning restlessly against the wall furthest from him, arms crossed over his chest. Selphie stood leaning against the back of the much taller Irvine. Her short yellow jumper was out of place there and she yawned- her mouth stretching so wide he swore he could see her tonsils. Grimacing, he glanced away, staring instead at the back of Quistis' head and the flipped bit of blonde hair that stuck out of the top of her clip. He wanted to take it out and let her hair fall free down her back- slip over the enticingly bared skin of her shoulders. He set his jaw and turned away to watch Squall talking with the GFs.

"…we're not going to demand reparations for the damage you caused or the lives that were lost in your attack. We only want assurances there will be no future attacks."

The woman with the silvery hair, for whom they had no name (but who Seifer remembered as the one that had impersonated the Estharian President), looked back at the young Commander, her lips twisted into a smirk.

"I doubt you had any illusions that you could demand anything of us."

When Squall said nothing she simply continued, turning away to gaze steadily at her map.

"We both know that if we do not agree on peace here, it will be a fight between the free Guardian Forces and those who choose to remain under your control. We're not so easy to kill, so the only casualties would be human."

"We don't want another war, and I'm sure that's not what you want either."

She smiled at him slowly. "You're right. It's a waste of time and energy. We simply wish to be left alone."

"Where? To remain here? You're awfully close to the borders of Esthar City. Once they figure out you're responsible for their President's death…"

Squall left that unfinished, his own hands curling into fists as he stared at her. Though there was no hint of anger in his face or posture, she felt uneasy when he looked at her and glanced away.

"We don't want to be near human cities. We want no interference from your kind at all."

"Then its best if you found a home in an isolated area," he told her, motioning to the map.

Behind him Rinoa stepped forward. "Squall, what about Centra? The only thing populating that area is monsters."

Squall nodded, pointing out the location to the GFs, who watched him wordlessly. "There's nothing there but a few ruins now. If you think you can handle the monsters, I'm sure you'd be able to establish a base, or city of some sort."

The two women exchanged glances, looking distrustfully at the humans for a long moment.

"We will survey the area first… but your suggestion may be agreeable," the silvery haired one finally said.

"And one more thing," Squall said as they turned to their computer. "We won't interfere with you, but you're not to interfere with any humans either. You do not attack or harm them; you do not go into their cities. You leave us be, and we'll leave you be."

She smiled at him slowly, a dark, knowing smile full of promise. Her lips were painted red and shined like blood against the olive tones of her skin.

"Of course, Commander…"


	27. Reconstructing

Disclaimer: SquareEnix is the owner of FF8 and its characters

Author's Note: This is the end! The final piece to be posted is an epilogue. I want to thank all my wonderful readers! I'm glad that you enjoyed enough to stick with me through my adventure. My first real epic fanfiction experience. Also a special thanks to my Beta Reader Ms Starlight. Without her I would still be fumbling through chapter 7!

Chapter 26: Reconstructing

"_People like us  
know how to survive  
There's no point in living  
if you can't feel the life  
We know when to kiss  
and we know when to kill"_

_The World is not Enough – Garbage_

Her smile had been unsettling.

Still, the Guardian Forces had agreed to leave them alone, and even signed a treaty to confirm that. Squall had signed as well, assuring them their new home in Centra and no involvement from any humans. He just hoped some stupid civilians didn't go poking around. He couldn't be responsible for anyone outside of the Gardens.

He didn't trust the Guardian Forces anyway. There was no telling if they would keep their end of the bargain. When Squall got back to Balamb, there would be rebuilding to deal with, and there were other things. They had to be prepared for war at any time. Their numbers were diminished. They'd have to recruit... and he had a few other ideas.

Standing at one of the windows on Ragnarok, Squall had distanced himself from the others. It seemed as though there would be a tentative peace, but he still had so much to do. He laced his hands behind his back, gazing out at the darkening sky. The sun was setting and he could just see the few brightest of stars making themselves known in the distance.

In the seat closest to him, Rinoa was curled up asleep, her mouth slightly open and lashes resting like dark crescents over her pale cheekbones. Zell was shuffling around the rear of the ship, throwing punches into the air with the stubbornness of someone who never quite runs out of energy. It was easy to tune him out, the sounds of his shoes scuffing at the metal floor and the whoosh of the air around his thrusting fists... at least he wasn't arguing with Seifer for once.

The other man in question sat with Quistis on the other side of the ship and Squall spared a glance in their direction. It seemed the former instructor and the disgraced ex-Knight had something between them. Squall didn't really care what or want to know any details. But he figured their relationship was beneficial as it seemed Quistis now had some sway over Seifer.

Turning back to the view outside, Squall slipped his hands into his pockets and thought again of that blood red smile.

oooOOOOooo

Night had fallen over Balamb City when the Ragnarok pulled in to land in Trabia Garden's hanger. Beside Seifer, Quistis sighed softly in her sleep. Her head was pillowed on his shoulder and she shifted her body, pressing against his arm as she snuggled closer. He didn't mind, and let the scent of her wash over him as he stared out the window to his right.

The lights of the docking bay flashed over his face, and pooled over the stone floor. The ship jostled when it landed and Quistis stirred again, this time sitting up. Her eyes were cloudy with sleep and her hair was mussed in a way that made him want to grab a hold of it and kiss her senseless. She stretched, arching like a cat and then stood.

"I can't believe I fell asleep."

He moved to follow her off the ship, filing out behind the others who were quiet with drowsiness, even that annoying messenger girl who seemed to have the ability to talk endlessly.

Shuffling out into the hallway, goodnights were murmured around him as Selphie and Irvine made their way towards the dormitory section of the school. The rest of them headed towards the exit.

Outside it smelled like the tang of sea air, and a breeze pushed ashore, ruffling through Seifer's hair. Zell was heading home to his mother's and he quickly departed, though Quistis didn't seem in a rush as she lingered at the dock speaking in soft tones with Rinoa and Squall.

His thoughts drifted as he waited, hearing their hushed voices but not any words. Weariness had crept into him, and though he'd spent most of his day sitting on an airship, he knew it had been a long one. He reached back to press his hand against the tendons of his neck, working away the stiffness that had crept into his muscles on their return trip.

When silence fell he glanced up, watching Quistis and Squall approach him, the latter's mouth set in a grim line. Seifer raised a questioning brow and the Commander let out a brief sigh.

"I have a proposal for you."

Seifer stared at him, his expression unchanging. Then he smirked mockingly and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Really, Commander, I'm flattered but I'm not really into dudes. Maybe you should save the ring for Rinoa."

Squall's eye twitched slightly, the only clue that the comment had annoyed him, and he glanced over at Quistis who shrugged slightly.

"As you know," Squall began once more. "We have a lot of rebuilding to do in the following months. Our numbers have been greatly reduced from the recent battle, so we're going to need all the help we can get. I'm willing to overlook some things."

Seifer's lips twisted into a sneer. "What exactly does that mean? You don't mind setting aside my past wrong doings so I can help you rebuild your precious Garden? No thanks, Commander Puberty. I don't do construction."

Undeterred by his reaction, Squall stared at him unblinking. "I'm sure you could manage some physical labor, Seifer. It doesn't take any brains." He held up a hand to silence the other man when he opened his mouth. "But I'm also talking about a more permanent job offer. You never passed the SeeD exam, but that wouldn't stop me from hiring you as an independent mercenary."

"What?" Seifer tried to keep the interest from showing on his face.

"With as many lives as we lost in that last battle, our current numbers won't be effective in maintaining our current mission rate, not to mention all the rebuilding we have to do. Also... I'm not certain this peace with the GFs will last. We have to be prepared for war at any time."

"And so you want to hire me as... an independent?"

"Yes. Basically you will be offered whatever missions we think you will be effective at. You won't have to be under the same... restrictions as SeeDs will, but you're also aware we will claim no knowledge or responsibility of your actions. So if you get into trouble, Garden won't be bailing you out."

Seifer seemed to consider that. In truth it was preferable to him that way. He didn't really like to feel like he owed anything to anyone.

Still, he didn't want to seem too eager.

"I'll think about it."

Squall looked briefly annoyed and then shrugged, glancing down at Rinoa when she took his arm with a yawn.

"Whatever."

Turning, the two of them made their way the short distance to Galbadia Garden which was tethered along the same strip of piers. He watched them go before turning away, staring down the Balamb City street. It was crammed on one side with cars parked bumper to bumper and lit from above by decorative streetlights.

"Come on." Beside him Quistis spoke up, slipping her fingers into his palm and tugging at him until he started to walk alongside her. She released his hand and he curled it into a fist, finding the contact too brief.

Together they made their way along the narrow sidewalk of cobblestones. It wasn't very late but no one else was around in this part of town. Skinny brick buildings crowded together, weathered by time. One had its windows framed by bright red shutters and window-boxes bursting with flowers he couldn't begin to name. Next door the metal numbering on the facade was tarnished green and a stack of unclaimed newspapers littered the stoop. It seemed like a peaceful area, but he wasn't sure what he thought of living in a place where you could reach out and, literally, touch your neighbor.

The only home he could remember being truly happy in had been the orphanage back in Centra. The place had been the lone structure in the wide open fields, now virtually infested with monsters. He remembered being able to look out the window and see an endless stretch of space. It had been comforting.

Now while the warmth of that memory washed over him, Quistis leaned in and slid her arm around him. He glanced down at her in surprise, eyebrows rising slightly. She didn't look up and he stared down at the top of her head for a moment before turning away, letting out a long sigh. He wasn't sure what it was between them, but he didn't want to let it go.

oooOOOOooo

1 Month Later…

oooOOOOooo

"A little to the left!" Selphie shouted from the ground, her voice carrying over the sounds of machines and vehicles beeping and sputtering around her.

Above her a large yellow crane was maneuvering piece of Garden's new exterior wall into place. Workmen dressed in jumpers and hardhats motioned the operator to lower it into place and grabbed it from the inside. Their drills could faintly be heard bolting it into place.

Smiling, Selphie nudged her oversized orange hat back into place and marched over towards the front gates. There, hired stone-cutters from the city were carefully repairing the ruined wall. Meanwhile she watched as Irvine and Zell struggled to move the newly finished wrought iron gates into place. Their delicate design made them appear light as air, but apparently this was not the case as the two SeeDs struggled with one piece so that another worker could secure it into place. Clearly they needed a little pep-talk.

"Come on, Irvy! Zell! You can do it! Don't let that little ole gate get the best of you!"

"Selphie!" Zell complained loudly. "You could actually _help_ instead of just playing cheerleader!"

She gasped, her eyes widening. "And dirty my new outfit!? This is my rebuilding Garden outfit!"

She stood back to show off her bright yellow jumpsuit with a little orange chocobo sewn over the left breast, her name stitched in the same color on the opposite side. The pants were tucked into brown calf-high boots with orange laces.

Irvine cringed as Zell dropped his half of the gate, putting his hands on his hips.

"Selphie!" the tattooed blond admonished, pointing a finger. "You know Squall said they need all the hands they can get right now! Just what are you contributing?"

"Easy," she said, sticking out her tongue. "I'm supervising. By the way you're killing my poor Irvy so you better get back to work!"

Zell turned back to look at Irvine, who was red-faced under the strain of holding the iron gate alone.

"Shit! I'm sorry!" Zell raced to his side, moving to help him bear the weight.

Behind him Selphie merrily went on her way to find someone else to "supervise".

oooOOOOooo

It was a sunny day in Balamb City where Quistis and Seifer were walking towards the local café where they'd arranged to meet Raijin and Fujin for lunch. Quistis took in a deep breath of fresh air, relieved to be free of the scent of paint and chemicals. They'd come from working on Garden's reconstruction. A significant amount of work had been accomplished in the last month, but the repairs still needed were staggering. It would probably be another year before Balamb Garden was returned to its former glory.

On their way to town they'd passed other new construction sites. All the work on Garden had created lots of jobs, drawing people from all over. New houses were sprouting up like weeds on the outskirts of Balamb City. The people who bought them ran a risk while the walls were still not extended past their homes, but many young workers valiantly armed themselves against the few lesser monsters that still cropped up. Thankfully, it wasn't many with Garden so nearby.

The only way to get to the new neighborhoods was by a dirt road branching off the main street that connected Balamb City to Garden. Quistis had gone by one night to take a look. The houses were all basic copies of the same template now, without personality. But soon people would make them into homes: painting them and planting gardens, leaving toys in the front yard. The thought of it made her smile.

Seifer glanced down at Quistis and saw her smiling for no apparent reason. He shook his head, sighing slightly. His muscles ached. Quistis was lucky to be working on the inside of Garden- repainting and the like. Meanwhile, he was assigned some of the more physical work with the rebuilding of the actual structure. He'd complain (more) but he'd noticed Commander Puberty out there lugging around flag stones and bags of cement, and he couldn't let that adolescent weakling show him up.

"I've been thinking," Quistis suddenly spoke, tilting her head to look up at him. "I don't think I want to live in Garden anymore."

Right now the two of them were still staying in Balamb City's hotel, which was packed full of SeeDs while construction was completed.

Seifer stared at her. "Well where exactly were you planning to live? You're going to quit Garden? That doesn't sound like you…. Especially when they need people so badly that Commander Pu-"

Quistis cut him off with a glare before he could continue. "I'm not quitting. I'm thinking of moving to Balamb City."

"Here?" He looked around, frowning slightly. "Why?"

"Not in the city like this area…." She motioned with one hand. "But where they're building now, like on the outskirts. I have enough saved up for the down payment."

He tucked his tongue into his cheek and nodded thoughtfully. He could understand her desire for a place of her own- away from her job. Also, even the best of SeeD accommodations were not much. The tiny dorms were hardly bigger than the closet-sized rooms they'd had as students.

He was pulled from his thoughts as her voice drifted to his ears.

"… and I know you gave up the place in FH when we began repairs, so why bother looking for a new apartment? Why not just move in with me?"

He stared at her. The question hung in the air and Quistis seemed to grow nervous as his silence dragged on.

Finally, he spoke. "Are you serious?"

"I wouldn't _ask_ if I wasn't."

She looked slightly annoyed with him and Seifer laughed, slipping his arm around her shoulders.

"I'm flattered. Are you sure you can put up with seeing me every day?"

She rolled her eyes, a slight grin tugging at her lips.

"I see you everyday _now_." She scoffed. "Besides, if you piss me off I can always kick you out."

"You know you could never do that."

He grinned down at her cockily and, finding that somewhat obnoxious, she elbowed him in the stomach as she veered off the sidewalk towards the little street-side café where they were meeting the others.

"Woman, you're so abusive."

"And yet you stick around. You must be a masochist," Quistis announced as she approached the table where Raijin and Fujin were already waiting.

The small, silver-haired woman cocked a brow and her companion nearly choked on his water.

"That's something I was okay not knowing, ya know," he complained when he found his voice.

"KINKY?" Fujin inquired, causing Quistis to blush red as she sat, regretting that she'd said it.

Seifer smiled, enjoying her discomfort as he took his own seat.

"So guess what guys? Quisty wants me to move in with her."

oooOOOOooo

The smell of blood was thick in the air. The bodies of monsters littered the fields of Centra, staining the sun-bleached grass like wine.

The Guardian Force of Illusion gazed out over the carnage with cool violet eyes. She couldn't remember her name, but she remembered violence. The scent of blood, the tang of it in the air was familiar. She glanced out over her new home but felt nothing. It was the same as any place. Here there were no humans though, and she wondered why that thought did not make her feel at ease.

She felt nothing, unless she was fighting… unless there was death. Soon, this land would be all but void of monsters, and then she would be empty. Briefly, she pondered the agreement she had made with the humans. She wondered how long peace would last.

Fin


	28. Respite

Disclaimer: FF8 characters are not mine. Originals are.

Author's Note: This is pretty much pure fluff! It's just a nice little look at our heroes during peaceful times. Enjoy!

Epilogue: Respite

_Peace by persuasion has a pleasant sound, but I think we should not be able to work it. We should have to tame the human race first, and history seems to show that that cannot be done. ~ Mark Twain_

2 Years Later...

oooOOOOooo

The sun shone brightly overhead as the breeze teased the fine blonde locks of the baby sitting in the grass. Small chubby hands grasped fistfuls of the green stalks and yanked, scattering the shredded sod across the skirts of her pretty turquoise sundress. She laughed a bright sound that carried in the air and watched with huge green-blue eyes as a butterfly -- a startling splash of orange in the sky --hovered over-head before swooping past. The child reached as if to catch it with those tiny hands, but it fluttered away, out of reach and disappeared into the distance.

She looked up when a shadow fell over her and grinned, reaching out. Her request was fulfilled when a pair of strong hands grasped her by the waist and lifted her up high, higher and she laughed again. Snuggling against a strong shoulder she made a little sound and pointed into the distance.

Seifer turned slightly, his one-year-old daughter settled against his hip, and gazed out where she had pointed. In the distance he could see the sun reflecting off something- the domed top of Balamb Garden. The school sat there, barely a speck on the horizon, but he knew that close up it gleamed like a newly polished coin. The final repairs had been completed only months ago, though it had been functioning for well over a year.

It was cool inside the house: a little two-story cod style building with whitewashed siding and forest green shutters. Seifer let the back door bang shut behind him as he made his way towards the front of the house. His daughter squirmed in his arms, babbling wordlessly and he glanced down to make sure she wasn't chewing on his shirt or something otherwise appalling. She grinned up at him and reached up with one tiny hand to pat at his face until he smiled back.

The lock on the front door snicked lightly before it swung open and Quistis stepped inside. She wore her SeeD uniform, and her hair was clipped back as usual, though strands had slipped free to tickle at the back of her neck where it was damp with perspiration. She spotted them and smiled, slipping off her glasses as she eased the door shut behind her. Dropping her keys and SeeD ID card on the table near the front door, Quistis made her way across the room towards them, reaching for the baby.

"Hello there, I missed you," she said, kissing her little cheeks until the girl was squealing with laughter.

"Well that's sweet, Quis," Seifer said with a smirk, reaching over to draw her close.

She rolled her eyes, stepping away from him easily.

"I wasn't talking to you." She laughed at the look on his face and relented, leaning up to kiss him. "Okay. Maybe a little. I wasn't gone that long."

"Your mission took two weeks. Two very long weeks during which I was trapped here doing_ all_ the work," he complained dramatically.

Quistis sighed and made her way to the kitchen. "Don't complain. I stayed here when you went on that classified mission that lasted a month. And besides, Rinoa is right next door now. I'm sure she was around to watch Em when you needed to go out. Hyne, it's like I have two babies."

Seifer scoffed, watching her from the doorway. So what if she was right? Rin and Commander Puberty had gotten married a few months after the peace agreement was settled with the GFs over two years ago. The Commander's quarters had been big enough for the two of them but they'd purchased their own house when Rinoa had become pregnant a month later. Both men had protested living so close to one another, but the women were set on it, and so that's the way it was.

"So how did it go?" he asked, watching her pull a bottle of water from the fridge.

"Not so well," she replied with a sigh. "Ever since the accident, our relationship with Esthar has been declining. We spent two weeks trying to convince them and they're still set on keeping their borders closed. They refuse to share any technology either. I think they blame us for Laguna's apparent death."

"That's stupid. It was technology from their city that sent that ship down."

She shrugged, taking a long drink from the water bottle. "We pointed that out, but they're more focused on the fact that he'd have never have been on that airship if it weren't for us." Quistis tilted her head when the baby in her arms leaned forward to grab at the clip in her hair. "We're having dinner with everyone tomorrow."

He groaned, "Why? Didn't you spend two whole weeks with those goons?"

Quistis rolled her eyes, "Only Squall, Xu and I went to Esthar. We're going, so its no use complaining. Selphie wants to see Em."

Seifer groaned again, staring accusingly at the child in question. "She saw her last month. I still say once a year is often enough to see how much she's grown and shit."

"Seifer!" She cut him the "don't you curse in front of our daughter" glare. "Anyway, Squall and Rinoa will bring Aidan too, and Raijin and Fujin are coming, and Zell will be there."

"If you're trying to convince me to go you're doing a crappy job of it."

"What, don't you want to see Raijin and Fujin?" She tossed her empty bottle into the recycling.

"Of course. But not all those other geeks."

Quistis sighed. "You're such a blow-hard. You know you like them."

"No," he answered firmly. "The cowboy is tolerable, but the rest of them…"

"We're going." Shifting the baby to her other hip Quistis left the room, ending the conversation.

oooOOOOooo

"Rin! Quisty! Look!!" Selphie charged towards the group of people who had just arrived at one of Balamb City's most popular restaurants.

The other diners stared as the petite brunette raced across the room, the satiny material of her gold and pumpkin striped slip-dress swishing. Both Seifer and Squall made hasty escapes, moving across the floor towards the terrace which the large group had reserved for their private use. This left Quistis and Rinoa standing, staring at the hand Selphie had thrust in their direction. Adorning her left ring finger was a gold band holding an immense yellow diamond.

"Holy Hyne," Quistis gasped, grabbing her friend's hand for a better look.

Rinoa was equally in awe. The rock was easily twice the size of the very respectable diamond that sat on Rinoa's own finger.

"Irvy surprised me with it last night. It was so romantic! He took me on a picnic to the beach and there were candles and champagne!"

The other women listened with envy as they followed her out to the terrace.

"What I was to know is how Irvine could afford a rock that big." Rinoa said as she set her son in the provided high chair next to her seat.

"He said he's been saving up since he met me." Selphie leaned in to coo at Em who was settled in her father's lap. Finally he thrust the baby into her arms.

"Alright, you can have her. Just get out of my face!" he groused.

Selphie laughed and smiled sunnily, hugging the child. "I just want to start practicing," she said and beside her Irvine choked on his drink and turned red.

"Selph! We aren't even married yet!"

"Yeah," she said with a grin. "But it sure will be fun _trying_ for a baby."

Seifer looked disgusted. "Excuse me, we have to eat here."

"Awesome!" Zell exclaimed suddenly, causing all eyes to turn to him. "They have a hotdog platter here!"

Rinoa stared at the menu. "Zell, that's for a whole party."

"So? It says it's twenty hotdogs. I know I can eat that many."

He smiled, clearly imagining his feast as the others eyed with him looks varying from reluctant acceptance to mild disgust.

"Owww!" Zell was pulled from his hotdog fantasies with a sharp pain. Em was leaning over in Selphie's arms and had grabbed a fistful of his hair, giving it a gleeful yank. Selphie gasped and pulled the girl back while her mother admonished her across the table and her father snickered. Zell shot him a glare and looked warily at the child, who looked all cute and innocent again.

"At least Aidan behaves," he said, indicating the two-year-old boy sitting in the quietly in his high chair. He was eating some sort of dry cereal and half of it was littered on the floor below him.

"Mostly," Rinoa agreed, wishing they had a dog around to clean up after him as usual. "But he's a year older. He went through that hair pulling phase too. He was always pulling Squall's hair."

The Commander grumbled under his breath as the waitress came along to take their orders. It wasn't long until Zell had a steaming pile of hotdogs in front of him.

"No matter how many times I see him do it," Irvine said, turning to his own steak dinner, "I still can't fathom how he eats that much."

"Chickenwuss, you do know what you're shoveling into your mouth over there, right?" Seifer pointed with his fork. "That's like the leftover parts from every monster on the continent."

Zell shrugged, chewing noisily so that Selphie inched her seat further away from him and towards Irvine.

"Clearly that doesn't bother him," Quistis replied, concentrating on her seafood dish so that she didn't have to look at Zell. "So when is the date?" she asked Selphie.

The other woman smiled, leaning close to hug Irvine's arm. "We're thinking of early next spring." She twirled a string of pasta on her fork. "I want to have it at Garden. Since the rebuilding, the Quad looks great and in spring all the cherry trees will be in bloom."

"That sounds lovely." Quistis smiled back, and glanced over at Zell's now empty plate. She stared at him in shock, noticing that his face was now a particular shade of green. "Zell, I think you ate those hotdogs a little too fast."

Rinoa was concerned. "Maybe we should take him back to Garden?"

"We got it," Irvine said, laying down money for their portion of the meal. He stood and moved to help Zell up, awkward because he was a good half a foot taller than the other man. "You better not barf on my good boots…" he muttered as he half-dragged Zell away.

Selphie bent to hug Quistis and Rinoa, and then even Squall, who sat there stiffly until she released him. "It was great seeing you guys again! Fu, Rai, see you back at Garden!"

"LATER!" Fujin returned her wave, and then looked over at Quistis and Seifer. "LEAVE?"

"Nah, I think we'll stick around a little longer. Now that Chickenwuss and Little Miss Perky are gone it might actually be relaxing," Seifer said with a smirk before taking a bite of his burger.

Rinoa turned her head to watch Selphie and Irvine below them helping Zell into the back seat of Irvine's black sports car.

"Ten gil Irvine is cleaning puke off those leather seats in the morning..." Quistis said under her breath and Rinoa wrinkled her nose.

"I'll pass on that bet." She sighed, tilting her head back as a breeze teased through the strands of her dark hair. "This is so nice. I hope things are like this for a long time."

"I wouldn't bet on that either…" the blonde replied, gazing out into the distance. "I wouldn't bet on it."


End file.
